Zootopia : A Raccoon's Redemption - Sins Of Our Fathers
by Old Goat
Summary: Sometimes the children must set right the wrongs of their fathers and bring justice to those who were hurt. The ZPD's first hyena cop struggles to balance his species' social beliefs with those of the force. Nick Wilde is assigned to a team hunting a desperate war criminal, as his best friend Jake searches for smuggled blood diamonds. Based on Zootopia: A Raccoon's Redemption.
1. The Children's Pain

**For generations, predators ruled the Western Cape Republic by legally codified laws which discriminated against and segregated the larger population of prey mammals. They used the wealth from their land to hire armies of mercenaries to enforce their laws. The blood and toil of cheap prey labor digging for diamonds and gold made many rich, while poverty, disease, and fear kept the laborers in their place. Then it all fell apart and now justice is being sought, but there is a fine line between justice and vengeance.**

 **This story is based on Chapter 5 of Zootopia: A Raccoon's Redemption.**

 _I do not own the rights to Zootopia or any of its characters. This story was written solely for the reader's enjoyment and without any profitable purposes. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this story are fictitious. (Does this legal disclaimer make you happy Mr. Moleinger?)_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Children's Pain**

* * *

 **Two years ago: Canal District**

Alan Wolford watched as the uniformed red fox quickly move into position on the other side of the door. They both had their tranquilizer guns already drawn, but he knew Nick's smaller gun only had three rounds and he was unsure that if it came to violence that they could stop the rhino's charge. All they had to do was delay the assailants until the SWAT team arrived with their heavier hardware, but their problem was that Judy had already barged into the warehouse waving her badge and was now trapped hiding behind some crates. Because of her size, she still had one of the old fashioned single round dart guns which could not penetrate the rhino's thick skin.

"Come out and play bunny," laughed the sinister looking tiger standing next to the larger rhino. Both were dressed in foreign looking combat fatigues. He slowly drew a long wicked looking knife and chuckled. "I promise we'll make it quick."

A thin cape jackal in a green sport shirt and jeans looked up at the two larger mammals, which were now smashing the crates trying to reach the rabbit. "Lamb above! Are you two idiots or what? That's Hopps, the first police rabbit, if you kill her then the cops will never stop hunting us!" he snarled in a strange accent. "This heist is scrubbed, let's hightail it before the rest of the ZPD gets here."

"We've got time enough to kill her first!" the large rhino laughed.

"Idiots!" yelled the jackal. "I'm gone." The smaller mammal scurried out of the building and into the darkness. Alan watched as he ran past him, but he made no attempt to stop him because he hoped they could find and apprehend him later. Quickly the wolf glanced back towards were the fox was hiding and he winced because Nick was gone!

"Come on out bunny!" the rhino laughed. "It looks like it's just you and us boys. You were a dumb bunny to show up here all by yourself."

Suddenly, there was the loud roar of a car and both of the assailants looked up just in time to see that a police cruiser had bust through the loading bay door. The driver wheeled the large vehicle towards the assailants and slammed it into the rhino. Wolford flinched at the sound of the car crunching into the rhino and the vehicle's impact threw the mammal's broken body into the far wall. The tiger turned to run but he was hit by three tranquilizer rounds and crumpled onto the floor.

As the wolf was running into the building, he saw Nick was standing near the fallen tiger and that the fox was frantically trying to reload his gun while he faced the damaged cruiser. The cruiser's door finally opened and the cape jackal staggered out and started cussing at the officers. "You three have screwed the pooch on this operation!" he yelled. "What the hell we're you thinking Hopps by charging into here waving your badge like that? Did you really think that toy of yours could stop a rhino?"

"Who the hell are you?" Nick growled at the other canid. Both officer's guns were now pointed towards the jackal.

"I'm with the Cape Police and I'm working with the ZIA on this mission," the jackal grinned as he held his paws up. "Before you shoot me, maybe I can help you dig Hopps out first?"

They handcuffed the jackal to a pole and then started digging the rabbit out of the rubble. She finally wigged free and landed in the fox's arms. He held her close to his chest, until Wolford cleared his throat. "The SWAT unit just arrived, so let's at least try to look professional!" the wolf chuckled. The fox gave him a frown and flashed him his left paw's middle digit.

"Now gentlemammals," the jackal spoke up, "I need one of you to please shoot me now." He smiled at the surprised looks the police officers gave him and then added, "I'm serious, I need someone to dart me. I think Wolford you should and tell them you got me trying to run away earlier."

"That won't work Chompers," Nick said. "Claws over there already saw you before I could turn him into a pin cushion, so your cover is already blown. Besides, how do we really know you are who you claim to be? Wolfie, I would suggest we hold doing our reports until we after meet with Bogo, because we have another smashed up car and the garage guy is going to have a field day with this one!"

Back at the station, they handcuffed the cape jackal to the interrogation table. "You know you have the right to an attorney?" Nick reminded him. The uniformed red fox leaned against one of the room's walls and had his signature smirk on his muzzle. "But from one canid to another, you might want to tell us what was going on."

"You're really going to try the old good cop and bad cop routine on me?" the jackal chuckled. "Where's Bogo?"

"You mean the bad cop? He's on his way down here right now, so this is your last chance for you to do this easy. You know I'm pissed that your buddies dislocated Judy's shoulder and she's been suspended three days for her actions."

"She shouldn't have run in alone."

Both canids were startled when the door crashed open and an imposing cape buffalo bull stood in the doorway. "Wilde out!" Adrian Bogo bellowed. "Now Wilde!"

The red fox barely got his tail through the doorway before the door slammed closed behind him. He looked at Wolford, who was left standing in the hallway. "What the hell is that about?" he asked the wolf.

"I have no idea?" Wolford replied. "He's killed both the video and audio recorders before he locked the observation room. Whatever is going on in there, the Chief doesn't want anyone else to know about. Oh, he told me to tell you that you've been also suspended for three days for not properly covering your partner." The fox snarled and turned towards the door. "Ah Nick, three days off of work with Judy, she needs comforting and you know!" the wolf quickly added as he touched his nose.

The fox's ears actually blushed before he objected, "We're just friends and partners, Wolfie!"

"Unlike your mouth, the sniffer doesn't tell a lie fox," Wolford chuckled. "I can smell the scent she's gives off around you nowadays and there's no way you've not noticed it. She's interested in you pal and I can smell that you're interested in her too, so you need to go to her and the two of you figure this out. I'll let you know what's happening."

Nick looked at the closed door and then back at the wolf. The wolf touched his nose again and chuckled as a grin came to the fox's muzzle as his tail began swishing. "Three days and you'll let me know what's happening?"

"Sure thing! I'll call you in the morning, but not too early, now go on Nick and fetch." As he hurried away, Nick heard the wolf call out, "Good boy Nick, that's a good boy!"

* * *

 **Two Years Later: Downtown Zootopia**

Adrian Bogo walked into the bar and stared around with his usual scowl until he saw the mammal he was seeking sitting at a booth, a cape jackal in a light blue and white stripped polo shirt and khaki pants. "Ah there you are Adrian!" the jackal said with an unusual sounding accent as he greeted the much larger cape buffalo with a smile. "Take a seat, Diamonds is on her way here from Tundratown."

"It's good to see you again Karl," replied Bogo as he shook the smaller jackal's paw. "I just wished it was under better circumstances, not this unfinished business. What are you drinking, it looks good?"

"It's just tea with lemonade and I think they named it after some golfer. It's called an Armadillo Palm…" the jackal was cut off by the enthusiastic greeting from another jackal as she rushed through the door and hugged him.

"Cousin!" she yelled as she continued embracing him. "It's so good to see you again!" Turning to the much larger bull, she then launched herself into his arms. "Adrian it's good to see you out of the uniform and dressed like the rest of us civilians." She pulled back and adjusted the collar on his dark blue polo shirt before adding, "It would be nice to see you in something that wasn't dark blue!"

Bogo smiled as she hugged him again and replied, "Despite what my wife claims, I don't work all the time and blue is my favorite color. Your acting very chipper tonight, I guess you've had a good weekend."

"I've had a blast this weekend. I went snow tubing, dinner and dancing, and even had lunch with Mr. Big and his family!" she replied with a huge smile on her muzzle. "But I want to bring charges against the charming raccoon I met, because the things he did to my body last night should be outlawed! You know him Adrian."

"Runnel," the buffalo huffed out. "Don't tell me you were with Jake Runnel!" He put a hoof over his eyes and groaned.

"I figured you knew him," she laughed. "He's so charming and sexy, a real gentalmammal! He even introduced me to the Wildes and you know what a fangirl I am of that fox!"

Bogo put his other paw over his eyes and groaned again.

"Who's Wilde?" Karl asked.

"You met him and his now wife Judy years ago during the warehouse debacle," Bogo grumbled. "They blew you cover."

"You mean the red fox and the rabbit?" the male jackal asked in surprise. "Are you telling me you haven't fired them yet?"

"They turned out to be two of my best officers," the buffalo laughed. Then he looked at the female jackal, who had just ordered drinks for the table, and said, "What where you doing at Big's for Sunday Lunch?"

"Well I didn't have much of a choice," she giggled. "A huge polar bear showed up at my apartment this morning with some of Jake's clothes and was quite clear that both Jake and I were expected at lunch. You know that shrew is very charming and knows a lot about blood diamonds. He made a point to assure me that there are no dealers in Tundratown who would touch them. He said that the possession and sale of blood diamonds is frowned upon on that side of the wall, which makes sense because I've never tracked any being smuggled in the area."

"He's a killer!" Bogo huffed. "Stay away from him Melinda. We think Big is a dangerous mobster."

"What about this Runnel fella?" Karl asked. "Is he a mobster too?"

"No, Jake is harmless," Bogo said with a smile. "He's a pain in my tail sometimes, but he's just a reformed burglar trying to make a honest living. He saved Big from a rhino and they're friends, both try hard to professionally stay out of each other's way. Runnel runs a security firm, nothing major, but he's good at what he does."

The tea and lemonade drinks arrived and after a few sips, Melinda giggled.

"What's so funny Diamonds?" Karl asked her.

"I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Adrian," she laughed and winked at the buffalo. "Jake is really good at what he does!"

"So here we sit again," Karl sighed as he changed the subject. "Trying to end this … this blight on our lives that was created by our fathers."

"Don't you find that a bit over dramatic cousin?" Melinda asked.

"So says the daughter of a saint," the other jackal chuckled.

"My father was no saint!" she snapped at him in anger. "He put his religion before his family..his wife…his daughters…ME! He left us alone, all because he had to speak out against the government. He had to ask for an inquiry on the tiger and his methods. We had to flee our home and our friends because of him. My mother was broken both spiritually and physically because of him! HE WAS NO SAINT!"

"And yet his daughter is nicknamed Diamonds," Bogo quietly said. "Because she, no you Melinda, track down illegally smuggled diamonds from the Cape and then gives the reward money to the refugees. Don't you try to tell me that you can't use that cash yourself?"

He sipped from his drink and then continued, "Did you know I once asked my father why he did what he did and he told me that he was only following orders. He said that his chief had commanded his warriors to follow the tiger. For five years he served the tiger, five years he terrorized others because he was just following orders. Then in '60 his tribe led the raid against the zebra upraising, he said they were first armed with long batons and beat the protesters mercilessly. After they rounded up the leaders, the chief gave them their traditional spears and led them back into the township to terrorize and pillage as the tiger's mercenaries lynched the leaders. Lamb knows how many died that day? It broke my father and he fled to Zootopia to get away."

"You know the number," Melinda sighed. "One hundred and sixty four, were killed that day Adrian."

"But at least your father knew what he was doing was wrong and finally left," Karl said. "My father believed all that shit that predators were born to rule. He hired that damn tiger and his mercenaries to, as he called it, bring order to the district. Diamonds, when the tiger's troops locked those villagers in your father's old church, my father laughed as they burned it down. Ninety six innocent mammals died that day. Ninety six…ninety six and then my brother, who had protested against that tiger's orders. The tiger had him hung from the burnt rafters the next day, while my father just watched."

"So its past time we bring the tiger named Birendra to justice," said Bogo. "He's back in my city and it's time to finally hunt him down."


	2. Hunters Assemble

**Chapter 2: Hunters Assemble**

* * *

They were Chief of Detectives Adrian Bogo's special unit, a combination of talented detectives, K9 unit officers, and uniformed officers, who had all been selected for their unique abilities. The officers and detectives in the bullpen stood at attention as Sargent Richard Fangmeyer escorted a thin jackal into the room. The canid was dressed in a light blue short sleeved uniform shirt with blue shoulder boards and dark blue pants. Seeing the rabbit and the fox standing on their chair, he frowned.

"Sargent Major Karl Velt with the Western Cape Republic Police Force is going to brief you on his current mission. I want all ears and eyes on this one mammals!" the tiger announced.

"Everyone has a photo of this tiger," the jackal announce while holding up a copy of the picture. "He is wanted for mass murder by my nation. We don't know his real name, but he goes by the name of Birendra, and our sources indicate that he is hiding somewhere within this city. We want him found and apprehended, but I must warn everyone here that he is a ruthless killer."

Stopping, he looked at the rabbit before continuing, "Do not try to apprehend him yourself! Call for back up, because he will kill you if you are not careful. I have asked Chief Bogo to organize a team for the hunt and this team is being led by Sargent Fangmeyer."

Fangmeyer stepped up to the podium. "The following officers are to report to the armory in ten minutes. Delgado, Wolford, Johnson, and Wilde, everyone else stand down and await Chief Bogo for you assignments." Both the tiger and the jackal left the room.

Nick looked at Judy, he wasn't shocked that she hadn't been called, but he was not happy. "Well get moving Slick," she finally said as she squeezed his paw.

He looked around at the other officers, who were suddenly and apparently acting like they were staring elsewhere. Chuckling to himself, he quickly kissed her and whispered, "I love you." Then he hopped off the oversized chair, flipped on his sunglasses as he strolled out of the room and called out to the others, "I've got a tiger to catch by the tail, so ciao!"

As he approached the armory room, he could hear Delgado talking to Fangmeyer. "What kind of name is Birendra?" the lion asked.

"It means King of Warriors in the old tiger language," the tiger tersely answered. "He sets himself up as royalty, but what he and his mercenaries did wasn't anything a real warrior would do and he certainly is no king!"

"So Velt, what can we expect?" Wolford asked the jackal. "I mean this tiger has to be in his eighties by now. Does he have anyone with him, like bodyguards?"

"Our sources say he's down to a dozen hyenas as his personal guard," the jackal replied. "He's short in cash and rich in diamonds, which he is having difficulty selling for cash. The International Police and your ZIA have cutoff his bank accounts, so we think that he's trying to make contact with your city's crime bosses."

As Wilde slipped in the room, Fangmeyer nodded and called everyone to the room's center. "Of the five major crime families, we know that the two which specialize in smuggling are the Northern Mob and Rainforest Gang," the tiger said. "Velt's cousin had lunch Sunday with the Big family, courteously of Nick's pal Runnel, and Mister Big went out of his way to bring up blood diamonds and indirectly assure her that no one in Tundratown would touch them. I don't trust him, but it makes sense that Birendra would approach the cats in the Rainforest Gang first, because cats like to do business with cats. We know the Rainforest Gang is hurting after the big nip raid we made last month, so if Catpone, turned him down, he'd go to the Northern Mob next."

"Sorry Fang, but any buyer will still face the same problem with the diamonds," Nick said. "You can't just cut and sell diamonds that easily anymore without creditable documentation to prove their acquisition from a legit mine. Velt do we really know if he has that many diamonds, I mean didn't he take his pay in cash?"

"We're not sure what he has, but our sources just say that he has been inquiring about selling some diamonds," Velt replied.

"If you don't mind," the fox continued. "We know the Northern Gang probably rebuffed his overture to buy the diamonds. So he's stuck short on funds with a unit of mercs he has to pay and in one of the richest cities in the world."

"Are you thinking he's going to hit a bank?" Fangmeyer asked.

"Maybe, but why not hit a string of banks?" Nick asked. "All at once and do it while you've tied down the police somehow. We're thinking like cops planning how to catch a crook, he thinks like a soldier planning how to win a battle."

"He lost his last battle and is now on the run," Velt added. "He needs money to bribe some third world nation for sanctuary."

"So we're chasing a dozen Hyenas right?" Nick asked. "Then we've got the wrong fur on our team. The only place you can hide that many hyenas is in Hyena Heights and I don't think any of us would be welcome there."

"Then you're saying we need to recruit some hyenas for the team?" Wolford asked. "We don't have any hyena detectives, do we?"

"How about among the street blues?" Delgado asked. "You know, the patrol officers? I don't know any with the First, but aren't there some over at the Fourth?"

"Geez, just call Ben!" Johnson chuckled. "Clawhauser may forget where he put a doughnut, but he seems to remember just about everyone in uniform."

Fangmeyer called and was quickly given the name of the only hyena who was a uniformed patrol officer and he was assigned to the Fourth. Then he called Bogo to discuss their plan and to make the necessary arrangements. Afterwards, he called the Quartermaster over to where the team was waiting.

The hippo laid out a number of newly acquired weapons for the team members. "Everyone will be issued new tranquilizer guns, the Model 3 version with a built in laser," the hippo said. "The number of rounds will vary by size, so I'm sorry Nick but you will still only have three rounds. Just like your old guns, one round will drop a smaller mammal, such as a rabbit, two will drop a medium sized mammal such as a wolf and three will bring down a larger mammal, like a tiger. We also now have alternative rounds, such as an irritant gas shell and a dye shell."

"Still six rounds to bring down a rhino?" Johnson asked.

"Five or six, if you can get that many off in time." The Quartermaster replied. "To drop a rhino, we have a single round taser projectile launcher. It will give you about ten seconds before he recovers, by then you could get five to six rounds into him."

Each officer was given their new firearm and allowed to practice on the firing range using inert rounds. Nick had some difficulty with adjusting the shoulder holster which had been issued to him so he could wear the new gun comfortably while dressed for undercover work. The gun itself felt good in his paw and the laser made snap shots easier. The CO2 cartridge was also more powerful, giving the gun a longer range.

"We're still working on a smaller gun for Judy," the hippo said as he approached the fox. "I've got a smaller three round version coming in a few weeks, but right now she still stuck with her old Mark 2 single round gun."

"That's still an improvement over the old dart gun she had when we first met," Nick sighed. "At least it's got better range. Can you get it in pink, she hates that color."

Chuckling, the hippo picked up a metal tube that the fox had placed on the table next to his gun belt and examined it. "Where did you get the Equalizer expanding taser baton?" he asked. "They say these can drop a bull. These aren't cheap either! I'd love to get them for the force."

"Jake Runnel gave it to me," Nick said as he fidgeted with his gun holster. "He said he bought a newer version and didn't need his old one, so he gave it to me."

"Ah, this is the latest version," the Quartermaster laughed. "They haven't even put these on the market yet."

Nick looked up at the hippo and chuckled, "So I've been hustled by a raccoon? He also gave one to Judy. I think I need to have a little chat with my ring tailed buddy about this."

"I wouldn't," the hippo quickly said. "Sometimes it's just better to play dumb. Runnel is a good friend and wants to keep you safe, so just let him think he's pulled one over on you."

"I guess you're right," the fox replied with a smile on his muzzle. Then reaching into his belt pocket he pulled out a spray canister and handed it to the hippo. "So now you're going to tell me they don't really make buffalo repellent?"

The hippo held the spray canister of mace in his paw and read the professionally printed label that had been affixed, "Cape Buffalo Repellent and it even has Bogo's frowning face on it, cleaver. I think your friend has too much money if he can afford a custom mace canister!"

"Oh he gave me a dozen!" the fox laughed. "I was going to give them to the K9 Unit, but Judy wouldn't let me. She said if Bogo found out, I would be doing parking meter duty for the next ten years."

"You've done parking duty so much that they've nicknamed you the Red Menace," the hippo added with a smile before he ambled off to assist Delgado with his holster.

"Fang wants us to head over to River Street and see what we can find out from any of the street mammals," Wolford said as he walked over to the fox.

"I'm sure that'll be a dead end," Nick said. "That street is run by the Northern Mob, but let's give it a try anyways."

Nick texted Judy that he wasn't going be home in time for dinner and chuckled at the lewd response about his missing dessert. Wolford gave him a look before he said, "I think I've totally ruined that little hick from the country I'm married to, because she's picked up some of my big bad city ways!"

Both went to the locker room to change into clothes which were more appropriate for working undercover in the section of town that they were going to. Nick changed out of his uniform and put on a light yellow sport shirt and jeans. He selected a grey lightweight cotton jacket to wear that would cover his pistol and strapped the baton to his leg. Wolford also had jeans and a t-shirt with an old rock band on it. He also put on a worn denim jacket and a ball cap. The fox spent a few minutes running his paws through his fur to make him look scruffy and then slipped his ring onto a chain he wore around his neck.

"Hiding the wedding band?" Wolford asked. The wolf cocked his head in that peculiar questioning way which canids do when they're unsure.

"Foxes may fool around when single," Nick grinned. "But we mate for life and a married fox in a strip club or with hookers would be suspicious."

They checked out an unmarked unit, which turned out to be a beat up old Mustang with patches of rust. "Come on!" Wolford objected to the carpool supervisor when he saw it. "No respectable mammal would drive this hunk of junk!"

"That's why I giving it to you two knuckleheads," the pig grunted. "Respectability and you two don't go together." Glancing at Nick, he quickly added, "You trashed the last car you had!"

"Hey Judy was driving!" Nick replied as he put his paws on his chest in mock horror. "Everyone knows about rabbit drivers."

Tossing the keys to the fox, the pig chuckled and said, "They drive almost as bad as Wolford."

The timber wolf gave the pig a mock growl, before laughing.

They hoped in the car and after a few attempts, it finally started in a bellow of blue smoke. "I hope we don't have to do a car chase!" Wolford chuckled. "I think it might be faster to just walk."

They made it about a mile down the road, before they were pulled over by a patrol cruiser because the car had a rear light out. "Give the ticket to the carpool supervisor!" Nick joked.

Two miles down the road, the car overheated and Wolford called the station to have a tow truck recover it from the parking lot they had abandoned it in, while they took the bus.

It was close to eight in the evening when they finally arrived at River Street. Bright neon lights of the dive bars, strip joints, and porn theaters were flashing. There were a number of rundown motels, a few restaurants and liquor stores. The street was busy with the homeless, drunks, hookers, drug addicts, and other street mammals.


	3. River Street Blues

**Chapter 3: River Street Blues**

* * *

Nick was grinning as they walked along the busy sidewalk. River Street reminded of his some of his old stomping grounds back when he was a con-artist. He watched the other mammals around him with a hustler's practiced eyes, until he saw another mammal staring at him. "Damn it Wolfie, it looks like our covers already blown!" he grumbled. "We've been made." He pointed at the raccoon in a dark grey suit who was standing there with his muzzle open, ears flat, and blushing. A cute black and grey wildcat in a tight green dress was snuggled under his arm. The wolf however was laughing too hard to reply.

"Shit, don't tell me you're now working vice?" Jake Runnel stammered. "We're just friends and weren't up to anything." The raccoon's face had changed from blushing to one of shock as both the fox and wolf looked down at the wad of money in his paw. "I don't want to go to jail again!" he whined as the wolf's laughter was joined by the fox's.

"No coon we're not working vice, we're looking for someone," Nick replied as he handed the wildcat a photo of the tiger and asked, "Have you seen this guy around or maybe some hyenas?"

"I don't know him or anyone," the cat almost hissed her reply. Her angry voice had a lilting accent. "I don't squeal to cops!"

Nick just gave her a smirk and looked her over before responding, "I wouldn't talk to cops either if I was you toots, any other cop would toss you in the slammer. But, I grew up on the streets and understand you've got to make a living."

Jake held the photo up and asked, "Hey is this that tiger who is pushing the blood diamonds? Raymond...I mean a friend...said that he's wanted for war crimes. You two hold on and let me talk to another friend down the street." The raccoon walked towards a muscular snow leopard in a red jacket who had been watching them from afar.

Nick smirked down at the frowning wildcat because she was now angrily staring up at both him and Wolford. "You've ruined a perfectly bonnie evening!" she huffed. "I haven't seen my Jakie in a while and I was hoping he'd show me a good time!"

Nick gave a genuine smile as he held his paw out towards her, "I'm Jake's friend Nick Wilde. So you must be Meredith, he talks a lot about you! I promise that we won't hold you up much longer and then you two can get back to business, I mean your date."

She finally smiled and shook the fox's paw. "So you're the fox married to a rabbit, it's nice to meet someone who appreciates us wee mammals. As for you wolf, I see you're ogling at Sheela but she usually won't do canids. Like most of us girls, we don't care for the knotting routine. However it's a bit slow tonight, so maybe she'll be interested.

The wolf began to blush. "I wasn't ogling her…really!" he grumbled. The sexy black panther in the tight red shorts and white blouse must of overheard the conversation, because she looked back at the wolf and winked causing him to blush again.

"Down boy!" Nick chuckled. "Heel!" The wolf looked over at the fox and growled.

After a few minutes, Jake returned. "No on the tiger buddy," he said with a grin. "But Jerry said that a couple of hyenas were at the Star Dance Lounge causing a ruckus a few nights ago. Go talk to Allen, he's the head bouncer. Do I need to go with you?"

Nick looked over at the sullen looking cat and chuckled, "I think your date is waiting."

"Date?" the confused raccoon asked before realizing what his friend meant. "That's right my date! If you need anything, give me a call. Oh, tell Allen that Jerry said it was okay to talk."

The wolf snickered as the wildcat grabbed the raccoon's tie and pulled him towards the motel.

"Well that was entertaining!" Wolford laughed as they walked down the street towards the Star Lounge with its bright flashing sign that read Girls! NUDE Girls!

A large tough looking kangaroo stood at the entrance to the strip club. "You wouldn't happen to be Allen?" Nick asked the larger mammal.

"What do you want fox?" the kangaroo asked. "You and your boyfriend better not try to pull a hustle around here. I'll stomp you in half."

Before Nick could answer, half a dozen young looking antelope bucks approached. "Let me see your IDs, come on!" He looked them over and handed them back. "Nope, damn did you guys make these yourselves? Come on move along!" The boys left and crossed the road, where the rhino let them into another strip club.

"So as I was saying," the fox continued. He had a smirk on his muzzle as he looked at the angry bouncer in the eyes. "We want to talk to Allen. I'm a friend of Jake Runnel."

The kangaroo blinked when he heard Jake's name and looked at Wolford with distaste. "I heard that he had cop friends, yeah I remember you wolf. You came here when you cops were investigating little Sandy's death, you never caught her murderer."

"I'm with the K9 unit," Wolford sighed. "I found her body. I'm sure the detective did his best to solve her case."

"His fucking best wasn't good enough!" Allen snapped. "So what does the city's first and only fox cop want with me?"

"I just want you to tell me about the two hyenas that were in your club a couple of nights ago," the fox asked.

The kangaroo tensed up even more and barked back, "I don't squeal on nobody fox!"

"Come on, we both know you're not squealing," Nick sighed. "Besides, Jake said to tell you that Jerry said it was okay to talk."

"Alright fox," the kangaroo said as he flagged down another bouncer, a grizzly one eyed badger, to take his place and hopped into the building. Nick and Wolford followed him through the door.

The club was dark inside with purple neon lights illuminating the ceiling and small lights on the booth tables. The bar was long and only a few mammals were sitting on stools along its length. The stage was lit with bright lights and swinging from a pole its center was a naked zebra, her body gyrating to the loudly thumping music. Scantily clad waitresses scurried back and forth bringing drinks to the patrons. They walked through the main room and past some private party rooms. Nick eyed Wolford as they passed a room were the occupants were engaged in a number of minor illegal sexual activities, but they continued until they reached a secured doorway which the bouncer opened. Inside were a number of monitors along a large desk, the kangaroo quickly turned off a few of the monitors before he sat at the desk.

"Okay mates, the hyenas were in the club two evenings ago," Allen stated. "Both were pretty drunk and in a foul mood. Janet was serving them drinks and said that one of them was angry about not having the money for a lap dance. He began yelling that he hadn't been paid in weeks and then got pawsy with Janet, despite her objections. When we tried to toss them out, it got physical and took all my guys, along with Bill from across the street, to subdue them. They must have had military training because they put two of my boys into the clinic.

Alan leaned back and poured himself a cup of coffee, but made a point of not offering any to the two officers. He sipped the hot brew and then continued, "By the time we dragged them out onto the streets, a van had arrived with a couple more hyenas and a tiger, just not the one in your photo."

Hesitating, the kangaroo sighed and frowned before saying, "Look fox, I know you used be a scam artist, so you know how things on the street work. This is…protected territory…the boss's guys keep an eye on our street and we pay him to do so. He doesn't take kindly to other gangs on his turf. The tiger was Scarface, Catpone's guy, and they loaded the two hyenas into the van and left. Word is that Scarface is going rogue on something, something big."

"Come on you've got to have more," Nick snapped. "What are they saying on the streets?"

"You'll find your guy in Hyena Heights," the kangaroo grumbled. "Now get the hell out!" As the fox and the wolf began to leave the room, the bouncer yelled, "Her name was Sandy Pondstone, wolf! She was a good kid. Someone needs to pay for her death…someone!" Wolford's ears went flat, but he didn't answer back, he just walked out of the room with an angry look on this face.

Out on the street, Wolford looked at Nick. "You know fox, when I joined the force I believed one day I would be a detective. I soon learned that we wolves never get the chance to show what we can really do, that they look at us only for our muscles or noses. We're either beat cops or K9 officers, those are our career choices. A few of us make it to sergeant, but never to detective. Fang used to drag me around as his partner, he said that I had good instincts and I got chances to do things most other wolves never get to do. But I'm still in the K9 unit, nose to the ground."

The wolf hesitated and looked out towards the traffic, "When they hired you, I figured they'd shoehorn you into records or other menial jobs where you wouldn't be seen. But Bogo insisted you come to the First and we all figured it was just a PR stunt. You know a fox and a bunny walking the beat together…so they could claim how progressive the ZPD is now! But Fang says Bogo saw something in you most of us missed, a street smarts that played off of Judy's genius. Don't tell the rabbit I said she was a genius! That's why you two were paired up."

"Judy can be a bit of a genius sometimes, but she still can be a dumb bunny who lacks common sense." Nick chuckled and then asked in a serious tone, "The roo got under your skin about that murder case, why?"

"That little girl's murder was horrible," Wolford sighed. "And so was the investigation, it doesn't take a wolf's nose to smell a cover up! I've never seen anything like it before or since, they raped her and then crucified her to a wall using spikes. She had been gutted by the claws of a large feline and I still have nightmares about seeing what was done to that coon."

"Surely there had to be some clues?" Nick asked.

"I'm sure there were, but I'm only with the K9 unit?" Wolford sighed. "Once we find them, the detectives take over. Rarely are we told what happens with a case."

"I'm starving," the fox complained, trying to change the subject. "I think we need to grab a bite before we head home."

"Any idea of where to eat around here?" the wolf grinned. "Maybe we need a tour guide?"

The fox grinned back and replied, "I know just the coon!"

It took them a while to finally track the raccoon down because everyone was protective of Jake, almost as much as they were suspicious of the two canids. Finally they found his location and outside of the motel room that Jake was inside of they listened before knocking.

"That's the spot, yeah right there!"

"You like that don't you boyo!"

"Oh by the gods, harder! Do it harder!"

"I don't want to leave a mark."

"I think we came at a bad time," the wolf whispered just a little too loud.

The fox was trying his best to keep from laughing as he looked up at the wolf and grinned. His paw stopped before knocking. "Maybe we should go," he snickered.

The door flew open and an irate raccoon in his boxer shorts glared at the two canids. "Some predators you two are, you're loud!" he growled. "We coons do have good hearing."

Nick leaned against the doorway and waved to the wildcat, who was wrapped in the bed's sheets and she waved back. The wolf behind him was blushing and his tail was between his legs. Grinning at the raccoon, the fox laughed, "We didn't mean to disturb you in the middle of...well, whatever you two were doing."

"SHE WAS SCRATCHING MY BACK!" the raccoon yelled. "What in the hell do you want?"

Wolford was still looking at the wildcat on the bed and she smiled at him. Then after a wink, she let the sheet drop and giggled as the wolf blushed and quickly looked away. Noticing that the fox was now looking at her, she winked at him and then frowned when he winked back.

"Eyes front fox!" Jack growled. "You never did answer my question and where the hell is you wedding ring?" The coon grabbed the fox's left paw and then patted his jacket until he found the ring on the chain. He pulled it out and snapped, "It belongs on you paw, not your neck bro!"

"I'm under cover!" Nick quickly replied. "I just wanted to ask you if there is a good place nearby to eat?"

The coon stared at him in disbelief before slamming the door in the fox's face. As Nick turned away, the door opened again and the raccoon said, "The Silver Spoon and try the hash browns with crickets." After the door closed again, the fox heard laughing and a jingling sound from inside the room.

"Remind me to get my cuffs back from him in the morning," Nick sighed and shook his head.

"Are you telling me that Jake pickpocketed you?" Wolford asked in surprise.


	4. Night Maneuvers

**Chapter 4: Night Maneuvers**

* * *

The half-naked raccoon grinned at the wildcat as he twirled the fox's pair of police issued pawcuffs. "Up for a game of bad cop and bad cop?" he asked.

"You bloody well swiped his cuffs?" Meredith asked. "You're a bold one, what if he comes back for them?"

"Nick knew exactly what I was doing," Jake replied with a grin on his face. "He's a hustler who has gone straight and so he knows how to pick a pocket or two."

The wildcat giggled and stood on the bed, she was stark naked and Jake's eyes took in her body. She had all the right curves to drive a mammal crazy. He felt himself harden, tenting his boxer shorts. "You got to catch me first copper!" she cried in a mock gangster voice. "I'm not going down without a fight."

He pounced, but she twisted just out of his reach and dove behind the room's rickety old chair. Flipping off the bed, the raccoon landed on the floor and leapt again. This time he caught her left paw, but lost his grip when he hit the wall. "Ow!" he protested. "That hurt."

"Are you okay?" Meredith asked as she rushed over to him, the raccoon was leaning heavily against the wall and was giving her a grimacing look. Just before her paw touched his shoulder, he grabbed it and tried to bring the pawcuffs up and over her wrist. "You're a sneaky bastard, laddie!" she laughed as she twisted out of his grip and before he could react, she was behind him. She shoved him forward and he landed face first onto the creaking bed. Then leaping on to his back, she pulled his arms behind him.

Jake found himself face first on the bed, with his paws cuffed behind his back. "Except for the naked cat on my back, this feels familiar," he grumbled. "So how did you do that?"

"I'm a wildcat from the old country," she giggled in his ear, "I grew up with six brothers and so I know how to fight." Nipping his ear, she added, "So I get to be the bad cop?"

Jake was going to protest, but instead he yelped and as the cat lightly bit him below his ear. He felt her tongue moving along his neck and towards his cheek. "You haven't read me my rights," he began to object. Instead of responding, the cat stood up and sat back down straddling his back, but facing the other direction. He felt her claws on his waist and both heard and felt his underwear being torn and sliced. "Hey, I needed those!"

"No you don't Jakie!" she giggled. "Stop wearing them when you come to visit me, they just get in the way." She pulled off his now shredded boxer shorts and flung them away. Leaning over she licked the fur on his rear end as she grabbed his tail with a paw. Pulling it forward, her tongue ran along its base until she was just below it and then she nipped. The raccoon jumped and moaned.

"Shit!" Jake moaned again. The sensation of the nip shot a wave of pleasure that he had never felt before. "Where did you learn to do that?" he cried out. She didn't reply, but instead licked and nipped again, causing him to buckle and pant.

"Raccoons!" Meredith giggled as she slipped off Jake's back and pushed at him, trying to roll him over. He rolled onto his back and she smiled as she looked him over. She pushed his legs apart and knelt between them, then leaning over she began to lick the inside of his right thigh slowly upwards. At the same time, she raked her claws lightly through the fur of his left thigh. He tensed again and moaned as her tongue found her goal.

"Damn, you almost made me howl!" he chuckled afterwards. "But we raccoons don't howl." The wildcat grinned and gave him a passionate kiss. As they broke their kiss, he frowned and said, "Yuck, that's what I taste like?"

"I think you taste bonnie," Meredith giggled. "You're one of my few regulars that I will swallow. I like the taste of raccoon."

"Don't I feel special," the raccoon said in a sarcastic voice. Her second kiss shut him up before he could say anything else. As they were kissing, he twisted his paws until he felt the cuffs slip off.

Meredith sat up and she was now straddling the raccoon's stomach. "Now Mr. Runnel, what can I get you to confess about?" she asked. She felt him moving, but she just figured he was trying to get more comfortable. Suddenly, his paws grabbed and pulled her arms behind her back as she felt him cuff her wrists. "Hey, how did you do that?"

Jake's arms encircled her dainty waist and he smiled. "I have magic paws," he chuckled as he answered her question. His paws ran across her chest and she slightly moaned. "You know that by now." He pushed her onto her back and began licking her as he moved one of his paws down towards her legs.

"I've created a monster," the wildcat groaned as he had his way with her. Afterwards, they rested together and finally he sighed, "I'm so sorry, I should have worn a condom. If Jerry finds out about this, he'll kill us both."

"I wanted it," she answered as she stroked his ears. "He won't kill us, only fire me and maybe beat you up some."

"Beat me up a lot," Jake mumbled. "I deserve it."

"Well then Mr. Fancy Paws Jerry doesn't need to find out," she snapped in her growing anger. "He's my pimp, not some laird of the land! So we don't tell him boyo."

Jake rolled off of her and she snuggled closer as he lazily rubbed her ear. The cat began purring and closed her eyes.

* * *

The raccoon was startled awake by the pounding on the door. "Open the door coon!" yelled a voice from outside. Jake groaned and padded over to the door, he opened it and looked up at the big snow leopard that was standing there with his arms crossed.

"What?" Jake mumbled as he stood there naked.

"Are you two done yet?" Jerry asked. "I need the room, not to mention Meredith has other customers too!"

"No, we are not," Jake yawned. "Tell them to make an appointment."

The big cat looked past the raccoon and watched as the wildcat tried to sit up, her paws were still cuffed. He eyes narrowed in anger and he snapped, "First thing coon, put some cloths on when you answer the damned door. Second, where did you get the handcuffs? We charge extra for those. Third, you are the one who needs to make an appointment if you're going to keep one of my ladies overnight." Then grabbing the raccoon by the throat, he slammed him into the wall before snarling, "Finally, don't you ever rut one of my girls without a condom again! You really didn't think I wouldn't see the stain? Count your blessings that we're friends or I'd break you in half." Dropping the raccoon onto the carpet he looked at the wildcat, "You're done for the night and I don't want to see you around here tomorrow night either, you know better."

Jake looked up from the ground at the big cat, "It wasn't her fault, I should have…" He didn't finish because the snow leopard kicked him in the stomach.

"You're right you should have, he growled."We'll work out the price of your mistake later, but for now you two get dressed and get the hell off my street." He slammed the door behind him as he left.

"Shit, I'm so sorry," Jake muttered as he stood. "Let me get those off you and then we better get dressed."

"Jakie, we're both to blame," the wildcat sighed. She felt the raccoon fiddle with the pawcuffs and then they came off. "You had the key?"

"No, but these are standard police issue cuffs," the raccoon wearily replied. "I take them off all the time and it drives the cops crazy."

Silently they dressed and left the room. Walking down the street together, they made their way towards the bus stop. A black sports car pulled up and a middle aged beaver called out, "Hey baby how much?"

"Not tonight honey," Meredith called back. "Candy is down at the corner, you might try her."

"I don't fuck pelts!" the beaver snapped as his car roared away.

"Asshole!" Jake yelled. Then looking up he saw that Meredith's bus had arrived. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked her.

"Sure Jake," She replied as she kissed him. "Just give Jerry sometime to cool down before you come back. Except for getting caught, I had a good time." She hopped on the bus and sadly sat down.

As the bus pulled away, Jake watched the wildcat through the window and he actually felt jealous when he saw her perk up as an older raccoon sat next to her.

Sighing, he called a taxi.


	5. Scruffy

**Chapter 5: Scruffy**

* * *

The next morning, the fox yawned as he uncurled in the bed. He felt the rabbit attempting to hop down off the mattress and quickly nabbed her, pulling her back into his embrace. "Whoa Slick!" Judy chuckled as she struggled against him. "I know I fell asleep on the couch last night, but I don't remember when you came home. Thanks for bringing me to bed, so how was River Street?"

"Full of hookers and strippers, it hasn't changed much." Nick mumbled.

"So the sight of all those naked girls has gotten you horny?" the rabbit giggled. "Time to get up my sleepy fox."

"I am up," Nick chuckled as he rolled onto his back.

"I can see, but I meant all of you getting up and out of bed stud," Judy giggled as she wiggled out of his grip. "I don't have time to shower and so I'm already going to smell like fox. I don't want to smell like I've had sex with a fox too!"

"Why not, we're married?" Nick asked as he sat up.

"Yes, but it's just bad manners to smell that way," Judy sighed. "I'm partnered with Francine and she's not currently dating anyone. I don't want her feeling bad because she doesn't have anyone special."

"I don't want her stepping on my favorite bunny either!" Nick chuckled. "Please be careful, that elephant can be a bit of a klutz."

As Judy slipped on her underwear and went into the bathroom to freshen up, Nick slowly stumbled to their apartment's kitchen and pulled out the container of coffee beans. He carefully measured the beans before placing them into the grinder. Within moments the blades pulverized the beans and he poured them into a paper filter, which he placed into the drip coffee maker. Then he added water and watched as the coffee began to brew, he sighed as he sniffed the aroma of the coffee.

"I ran into Jake last night," he called to Judy as he joined her in the bathroom. Lifting the commode lid, he hiked his leg and began to pee as he continued talking. "He was on River Street with that hooker, you know the wildcat."

"I always love having a conversation while watching you take a piss," Judy said with unconcealed sarcasm.

"You're just jealous I can stand and do it," Nick replied with a grin. "Do you want to come over and shake it?" He yelped as a rolled up towel cracked him on his behind next to his tail.

"Next time fox, I'll whack your front tail!" Judy laughed. "So what did you say Jake was doing on River Street?"

"Caught him with a hooker, you know the wildcat he's always talking about!" the fox continued as he turned on and stepped into the shower.

"You didn't arrest him?" Judy asked. "They were breaking the law."

"Never saw any money change paws," Nick chuckled. "We concluded they were on a date."

"Sure he was," Judy laughed from the bedroom. She had finished dressing in her usual tactical uniform of light blue shirt, dark blue dark blue pants and the dark blue impact vest. "Hey Slick, where's your uniform?"

Nick turned off the shower and shook before turned on the fur dryer. "It's in my locker at work, we were undercover last night."

"Hey Nick this is a great gun! Is everyone getting new guns or just your new team?"

"Q said he's changing out the guns for everyone in Bogo's special unit," Nick replied as he entered the bedroom and rummaged around for a pair of clean underwear. "We need to do laundry and soon or your favorite fox is going to have to go commando."

Judy walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist, putting a paw on his sheath. "That would be very distracting for your bunny at work," she giggled.

"All that talk about not wanting to smell like fox and you put your paw there?" Nick groaned as his foxhood began stirring in her paw. "If I was you, I'd run little bunny or you're going to smell like you've rutted a fox when we arrive late for work."

Judy swatted his tail, which had worked itself between her legs. "Bad fox," she laughed and the quickly ran into the other room before he could grab her with his paws.

Nick pulled on his undershorts and his uniform pants. He also pulled on a dark blue t-shirt with the ZPD logo embroidered on it. "Q also told me that the stun batons that Jake gave us were not the old model, but the latest version. This version isn't even on the market yet. Our raccoon is getting sneaky"

"Nick we can't have him buying us expensive things!" Judy replied as she held the baton in her paws.

"I've thought about that. I think we should just play along with his little lie, he did it out of love. So don't let him catch on that we know, okay Judy?"

The rabbit looked at her husband, because he only used her name when he was serious. Her nose twitched as she pondered his words and then slipping the baton back into its holder on her belt. "You're right Nick, But we need to keep him from buying us an expensive gift ever again."

"Gee Carrots, does that mean I can't talk him into buying me a car? Damn, my gun belt is in my locker!" Picking up a duffel bag he placed his pistol with the shoulder holster, baton, and radio into the bag. Stopping in the kitchen, he poured himself a large travel cup of coffee and hurried to follow his wife out the door.

Fortunately the subway was on schedule and they arrived at the police station in time for Nick to change into his uniform and retrieve his belt. Properly dressed, the fox headed to the bullpen for the morning meeting. "Nick!" Clawhauser called and waved for him to come to his desk. "Fangmeyer said for you to report to Meeting Room B for debriefing."

Waving at Judy as she went into the bullpen, he made his way down the hallway and into the room. Delgado, Johnson, and Wolford were already there, Velt and Fangmeyer had arrived just as he sat down. The officers quickly stood at attention. "Sit!" the tiger snapped. "Delgado did you and Johnson find out anything in Hyena Heights?"

"Not a damn thing!" Johnson grumbled. "No one would even give us the time of day. They are tight lipped about what's happening in their neighborhoods. Hell, we even had a group of them following us door to door."

"We live in those neighborhoods to get away from your kind," a deep voice said from the doorway. Nick looked up and there was a brutish looking hyena standing there. His uniform looked rumpled and sloppy. He stood a little over five feet tall with yellowish grey fur that had irregular patterned spots, his head was flattish with a blunt muzzle. His smile showed his strong white teeth in his powerful looking jaws. Entering the room, he came to attention and saluted the tiger before adding, "Officer Phillip Barsto reporting for duty."

The tiger returned his salute and growled, "You're late officer!"

"Sorry sir!" the hyena replied. "I worked the night shift and had to chase down a purse snatcher on the way in this morning. I fell in a ditch and didn't have time to change."

"Take a seat and tell us more about this Hyena Heights", Velt interjected.

The hyena looked at the tiger and after receiving a nod, he sat down. "As you know Hyena Heights is not really an official name, but just a nickname because most of my species are living in the area," the officer explained. "To those who don't know about spotted hyenas, we appear rude, boisterous, pushy, and noisy, which we can be. We're also considered to be greedy, gluttonous, and stupid, which we are not. Hell, I've even been insulted and called a dog before! We're actually felines, closer in relation to you sir then to this wolf, fox, or jackal. Add in our tendency to cackle when we get nervous or excited, which others take as laughter, and we're really hard to get to know or like."

Using his paws to try to smooth out a few of his uniform's wrinkles, he sighed and continued, "Sorry again about my uniform. Anyways, because of the way we've been treated in the past, we're suspicious of outsiders. Especially the police, who have a bad reputation of abuse against us, which is why I am the only spotted hyena on the force. At least you sent the lions into the neighborhood, we mostly respect lions."

"I've got more sense than sending a canid into your territory," the jackal said. "Old rivalries between our species still exist, but we've settled those in the Cape with our brown hyena citizens."

"Wolford and Wilde, what did you find out on River Street?" Fangmeyer asked.

Nick looked at Wolford and waved his paw for the wolf to report. "We got confirmation they're in Hyena Heights," the wolf said. "We also confirmed that none of the major mobs are involved, but Scarface Scarese might have gone rouge on this one."

"There also seems to be some tension in the ranks," the fox added. "Birendia isn't paying his troops and if he doesn't do something quick, he'll be alone. Two of the hyenas were in a strip joint and drunk."

"Those two were males?" Phillip quickly asked.

"The bouncer didn't say," Nick answered. Then looking at Wolford he shrugged. "He said the drunken one was mad because he couldn't pay for a lap dance."

"If their males, they'll stay until told they can leave," the hyena sighed. "Their leader is going to be a female and she'll call the shots."

"A female commands them?" Delgado asked. The lion had a puzzled look and so did Johnson, the other lion.

"Our alpha is always a female," Phillip laughed. His laughter was deep and pleasant, not like the cackling the others expected. "Our ladies are bigger and stronger, more aggressive and always the alpha." He put a paw to one of his mangled ears and added, "They also bite, which makes mating interesting."

"What mammal doesn't?" Johnson laughed. "A little love nip or two." There was chuckling from several of the males in the room.

"Focus guys," Fangmeyer said, he too had a grin on his muzzle. "We need to find out where they are holed up and what the tiger is planning. Phil, I need you find out what's going on in Hyena Heights, but I don't want you in there without backup?"

"Sir, I don't need backup. I live in Hyena Heights," the hyena replied. "I'm safer there then I am here, I've got my whole clan as backup."

"At least let's get you some decent equipment, "Fangmeyer sighed. "I see that you've still got the old dart gun, you'll need something better. Wilde, take him downstairs to the armory and get him some proper gear."

"Come on Scruffy," Nick said. The fox gave the scowling hyena a smirk.

"I told you I was chasing a pickpocket and fell!" the hyena grumbled.

Entering into the armory, the hippo looked at the two mammals and said, "What is Bogo doing? First he gets a fox and now hyena. Who's next, a coyote?"

"I understand you buy antiques," the fox chuckled. "Show him your dart gun Scruffy!"

"Quit calling me Scruffy," Phil tersely replied.

Nick looked up at the hyena and then the hippo before adding, "Fang said to upgrade Phil, he's now a member of our task unit. He needs a new gun, radio, taser, and sense of humor."

"I have everything he needs," the Quartermaster replied. "As for a sense of humor, you might try saying something funny for once Wilde."

Nick looked at the other two mammals and sighed, "Tough crowd in this room! Okay, let's try this for humor…what's red and black and red and black?"

"I'll bite, what?" the hyena replied.

"A sunburned zebra!" the fox laughed.

"Did you get that joke in a gumball machine?" Q grunted. "Let's get your equipment before Nick tries another joke."

It took about half an hour for the hyena to turn in his old gear and check the out new more modern equipment. Suitably equipped, he and Nick located Fangmeyer, who was still in the meeting room.

"Find Wolford and you two brief Phil on where we are in the investigation and then I want your report about your trip to River Street on my desk today. Oh and you can leave out your little friend's, ah...date…because it doesn't matter," the tiger said. "Velt is with the lions trying to locate a suitable location to house a backup team near Hyena Heights, just in case. Take the remainder of the day off after you're briefed Phil, but do not start poking around until you hear from me first."


	6. Home Sweet Hyena Heights

**Chapter 6: Home Sweet Hyena Heights**

* * *

 **Female hyenas not only aggressive and promiscuous, but they also have very unique genitalia which would no doubt discourage much interspecies sexual activity. It can be quite a shock to other girls when a female hyena whips it out in the locker room! Keep this in mind during the story.**

* * *

It took well over an hour for Phil to return home because after the subway, he had to transfer buses twice. He then walked down the street leading to his neighborhood, past all of the half empty strip shopping centers with their small businesses, automotive repair shops, used tire stores, pawn shops, liquor stores, and a finally a huge junkyard. A city trash truck rumbled by and the raccoons inside waved to him as they made their way towards the city dump, which towered above everything. Across the road was a huge tire recycling center and the sounds of its shredding machinery was deafening.

After a short while, he finally made it to his neighborhood's entrance and looking down the street, he contently sighed. The neighborhood was row after row of duplexes and apartment buildings, most occupied by hyenas. There were a scattering of cars parked on the street and these were mostly old and worn. Most of his neighbors could be what they classified downtown as the working poor. There were cubs playing in the streets, watched over by several adults in lawn chairs, they waved and greeted him as he walked past.

When he had first joined the police, he was apprehensive about what his clan members and neighbors would say. The city cops were always cautious when they came into his neighborhood and were often abusive to his species. Like many mammals that were not from the Great Savannah, most of the cops assumed that a hyena's nervous or excited cackle was laughter and it was seen as being disrespectful. When he approached his alpha with his desire to become a cop, he was surprised that she supported his career choice. The elderly hyena just smiled and said, "In the old country, we hyenas have always been part of the police and the military. But you won't be the first hyena to attempt to join the ZPD and don't be shocked when you get turned down. You know they treat us as outsiders here in the city and that's why most of us go back to the Great Savannah after a few years."

He was also surprised when his application was accepted as part of the newly elected Mayor Lionheart's Mammal Inclusion Initiative. At the academy, he was treated as a pariah by most of his classmates but they seemed to focus most of their scorn at a little rabbit named Judy Hopps. While he struggled with the academics, she struggled with the physical training. In the end they both passed and while she became the poster child for the ZPD, he was passed from station to station. Finally he ended up assigned to the Forth Precinct and partnered with a veteran cop named Paul Jackson. The affable easy going black bear became a good friend and taught him a lot about the importance of treating all mammals fairly and with dignity.

Their short lived partnership was broken up, because under the new administration of Mayor Bellwether the police budget was drastically cut back, forcing layoffs and early retirements. The reduction of manpower also meant that single officers were now assigned to work their beats alone and he found himself assigned to one of the city's roughest areas, the old mill town ironically named Happy Town. Despite the stories he had been told of the neighborhood's being overrun with gang violence and crime, he discovered the opposite. A large influx of coyotes had moved into the town and he found that these animals were mostly both accepting and generous. They also had a very flexible hierarchical pack structure and he quickly discovered that it was more effective to turn any trouble makers over to their Alphas then to arrest them. Because he wasn't arresting as many mammals as the previous cops had, he came under investigation by Internal Affairs.

The IA officer was a zebra in a blue suit and he had removed his jacket before he sat down and rolled up his white dress shirt sleeves. Looking at the hyena standing at attention, he waved him to a seat on the other side of the table. "Look officer," he said as he loosened his paisley tie. "I've had a few complaints about you, but nothing unusual. I'm here to find out why you're not arresting as many criminals as your predecessor."

"I'm not sure what to say?" the hyena asked. "I mean most of the drug dealers are gone. The gangs now have a truce and violent crime is down."

"Are you claiming this is all because of you?"

"No, I don't have anything to with the change, it's the coyotes. Their Alphas have made a coalition with each other, the foxes, and the wolves"

"So are you saying you let a bunch of pelts take over the streets? I mean, are they running the streets?"

"Within the law," Phillip replied. He was getting agitated with the zebra. "I would prefer you didn't call them names, please. They have set up a community watch and it works. If anyone breaks a serious law, I step in and arrest that mammal. Minor infractions go to the alphas."

"All you canids stick together."

"I'm not a canid! We hyenas are more feline."

"Eh, no matter your still a predator. I want you to undergo a medical exam tomorrow and you will also need to be tested for drugs. It's the mayor's new policy, we certainly don't need a pred cop going savage."

The next day ZPD's first rabbit cop, Judy Hopps, arrested Mayor Dawn Bellwether. It turned out that the outbreak among the predators was not because they were reverting back to their savage ways, but because they were poisoned with a drug called Night Howlers.

* * *

"Hey Phil!" yelled a voice, snapping him out of his musings. "Earth to hyena! Are you okay dude?"

He was startled when he realized he was standing in the duplex's front door. "Sorry Apara I was just lost in my thoughts, is Susan in?"

The younger hyena smiled and replied in a heavily accented voice, "She's suckling your daughters in the den. Are you going to be here for dinner?"

"Only if she lets me, but yes I would like to stay," Phil chuckled. The other hyena smiled, he had moved in after he arrived from the Great Savannah and was caring for Susan while she nursed her cubs. Just having reached an adult age, he hadn't had his ear notched yet, showing he had successfully bred. Although Phil knew he had mated several times with Susan's sister Karina, but only for the sex and not yet for children.

Susan shared their side of the duplex with her sister, both who had been born in the city. Like the other female hyenas, they were domineering and promiscuous. Phil had mated with both sisters, but he had only bred with Susan and she successfully gave birth to two daughters. The two girls were Phil's latest children. He already had another daughter and a son who moved back with their mother to their native homeland in the Great Savannah. Smiling, he rubbed his scarred ear with its two notches and entering into the den, he watched Susan on the couch with both of the cubs to her breasts. She smiled as he walked up to her and respectfully knelt. "Well girls your father has finally returned," she spoke softly. "Where have you been lover? I was afraid you might have run off with a flat pussy coyote."

He chuckled at the larger hyena's joke as she nodded for him to join her on the couch. He sat next to her and licked her muzzle, "You know I only have eyes for you."

"And my sister Karina…and Pam … and Shusha…or any other female who will bed you."

"It's our way darling. We males mate when it's offered and sit around hoping we're called again and not some younger stud from the homeland."

"He is good looking and can cook," she replied as she watched Apara in the kitchen. Then licking his muzzle she added, "But he is no Phil."

He couldn't suppress a yawn. "Sorry, I've been up since yesterday morning," he said. "I worked the night shift and then I was called downtown. It seems we've got a small clan of hyena mercenaries hiding somewhere around here and they want me to find them."

"You are not going to spy on our neighbors!" she snapped. "We will take this to Marjett, she will decide what you will do, understand!"

Phil looked down and nodded, "Taking it to our Alpha would be proper. I don't think they will like it at the station, but I will do as you say." He tried to stifle another yawn, but failed.

"Now go to my room and take a nap!" she chuckled as she shifted the now sleeping cubs in her arms. "That is after you put our daughters in their crib. I'll let Arpara know that you're staying for dinner and my sister, when she gets home, that you're staying with me tonight."

She carefully handed him their daughters and tenderly licked his muzzle, before she buttoned her blouse closed. Philly cradled his cubs as he carried them to the crib and laid them down, relieved they didn't awaken. He watched them sleep for a few minutes, before stretching and walking up the stairs to Susan's bedroom where he stripped, folded his clothes and then curled up naked under the sheets. The soothing scent of his lover lulled him to sleep.

It seemed like he had just fallen asleep when he was awoken by little paws climbing on him. He laughed as he scooped his daughters into his embrace and licked their giggling faces. He looked up to see Susan smiling down at him and she laughed, "Maybe I'll domesticate you yet!"

"If anyone can, it would be you love," he said with a grin. "You've always had a piece of my heart, even when we were cubs."

"I'm the one who is supposed to seduce you with the flattery," she chuckled. "You've been hanging around with too many canid males and I hope you're not thinking you're in charge?"

"You don't really believe that?" he quickly replied. "Their ways are not our ways. At least our girls won't have to fight the same battles you and your aunts did with the schools."

"Having a long clitoris like ours does intimidate the other females," she sighed. "Then there were the males, always trying to be our superiors."

"Don't forget your sister wanting to play sports," he added as he tickled the cubs. "There was the high testosterone issues and the locker room incident."

"So she undressed and the flat pussies panicked!" she shook her head. "Now get your pants on lazy, because it's time for dinner."

He dressed and came down to the kitchen table, where Apara first served Susan and her sister. After ensuring they had enough food, he served himself and Phil. "So sister, you've asked Phil to spend the night again?" Karina asked. "You're still recovering from giving birth, so why do you need him?"

"I haven't seen him much since he works nights," Susan said, her tone was defensive. "I like his company and our cubs should know their father."

"Others won't be pleased," Karina replied. "I know some of the others would like to bed him too."

Neither Apara nor Phil spoke, they would only speak when spoken to by the females. Otherwise they were expected to be seen not heard.

"Why are you not working tonight?" Karina asked Phil, she looked and smelled angry. "I thought they stuck you on the night shift?"

"I have been reassigned for a mission, "Phil answered. "I will be off for a few days and would be happy to do some work in your yard because I see the lawn needs care."

Karina just grunted in response. "Apara, these sautéed palm larvae are really good! As a reward, you can spend the night with me."

After the dinner was finished, the sisters took the cubs and drank tea on the porch. The males cleaned up the kitchen and washed the dishes before joining them outside. Phil spent the evening playing with his cubs before Susan feed them and put them to bed. He joined her in the bedroom, where they both stripped and climbed into her bed. He winced at the sight of her stitches, a reminder of the c-section she had chosen for the birth of their daughters. For a female hyena to give birth, it was like delivering a baby through a penis, always resulting in her clitoris being ruptured and mangled. Surgery was much safer then natural birth, which often in the past had resulted in the loss of the first born cubs and sometimes even the mother.

They passionately licked each other's muzzles before she sighed and rolled over. But instead of pulling him close, she snuggled up to him and feel asleep as he rubbed her ears. They slept peacefully and contently, until they were awoke by the sound of hungry cubs calling in the early morning darkness.


	7. Desert Disaster

**Chapter 7: Desert Disaster**

* * *

Earlier that evening, Nick had joined Judy and their raccoon friend Jake in Sahara Square. The evening street bazaar was in full swing with vendors hawking everything from clothing to perfumes. As they walked past the stalls, the shop keepers were nosily calling out their wares. Nick would occasionally point out a con or scam being committed. Fortunately, Judy was still in uniform and so at the sight of the trio, the mammals committing their questionable activates would quickly disappear. The fox sniffed the air, inhaling the scents of the spices being sold in the nearby bins. Cinnamon, allspice, rosemary and many more fragrances, both familiar and exotic, were all tingling his nose. He felt a tug as Judy excitedly pulled him by the paw towards a booth selling tin lanterns. A large camel was delicately crafting a dainty tin candle stick holder and looked down at the little police officer with a smile. "I'll give you a discount for being a police officer!" he called to her. Then seeing the fox, he frowned and added, "I remember you fox! You used to do the shell game down on the corner, you cheated and kept taking my money you scoundrel! What brings you to my humble stall, thief?"

"A thief must make a living," Nick grinned up at the large mammal. "It wasn't my fault you're too nearsighted for you own good!"

"Even you Nick Wilde are welcome to the shop of Haddad the Tin Smith!" the camel chuckled as he bowed. "So it is true that this pretty lady did marry your sorry flea bitten pelt! Alas, she must be the nearsighted one."

"So you old swindling camel, what is the word on the street about Scarface and an old tiger with some diamonds?"

"The patched one is seeking a dishonest jeweler to cut some diamonds and set them in antique settings so he can avoid customs. He can't use his normal contacts because Catpone will find out. His problem is that Salazar also has sworn to the cartel to have our friends stay clear of any blood diamonds, so the bazaar jewelers are not interested."

"If you know, then so does Salazar? If Salazar knows, has he told Catpone?"

The camel shrugged and spread his hoofs indicating he was unaware. Scooping up the dainty candle stick holder, the camel bent over and handed it to Judy. "A gift from one thief to the mate of another," he said with a smile. "It's a wedding present which is long overdue."

"He's a former thief," she replied. "Thank you, it is beautiful."

"No little one," the camel chuckled. "Nick Wilde is still a thief and has stolen the greatest prize of all, your love." The little bunny smiled as she hugged the camel's neck. As the fox and rabbit left to join the raccoon in a nearby stall, the camel sighed and softly said, "Go in peace little one and may the Bright One watch over you and your fox." Then he reached into a box and pulled out another matching candlestick. Turning it over, he scratched off the sticker that said Made in Amir as he hummed an old tune.

The three friends strolled past the many rows of merchant stalls until they reached the food vendors and Jake made a beeline straight to his favorite stall. There were shish kabobs of all kinds on display ranging from cubed vegetables to crunchy marinated silkworm larva. But it was the vendor's famous B'stilla, a savory pigeon and almond pie that what he wanted. Both Jake and Nick ordered the pies and Judy ordered a vegetable kabob, which was served on a bed of cold tomato and cucumber couscous.

They found a place to sit on the edge of a huge six pointed star shaped pool of water with a three tiered fountain in the center. The sound of the water was soothing to their ears and they mostly ate in silence, savoring every bite of their exotic tasting meals. When they finished, the raccoon momentarily disappeared leaving the two lovers holding paws and watching the crowd. A few minutes later Jake reappeared with three bowls of blueberry gelato and he was followed by an ibex with a brass Dallah containing some of the traditional bitter cardamom flavored coffee for the two omnivores and a bottle of rose water for the rabbit.

"This may not be the largest city in the world," Jake observed as he sipped the strong coffee. "But the whole world comes here to do business. So Scarface doesn't have the diamonds does he?"

"You weren't supposed to hear that!" Nick frowned as he answered, "This is official police business, not for your prying ears coon."

"Didn't hear it from you Red," the raccoon chuckled. "I know mammals, who know mammals, who know things. Besides I try to keep tabs on Scarface, he really hates me because my security upgrades have foiled more the one of his gang's attempted burglaries. Anyways, since the big five won't touch the diamonds, he is stuck with only one possible place to go and I'm not sure even Scarface would go into the Nocturnal District. That place is a war zone between rival street gangs and one day you cops are going to have to clean up those streets." The sound of music drew the raccoon's attention and he turned to his friends with a grin and laughed, "Belly dancers! Are you two coming?"

"Have fun buddy!" Nick laughed. "I think we're heading to the gardens and then home for the night, before I have to carry my honey bunny." Judy gave him a play punch on his shoulder and then giggled as he wrapped his tail around her.

"I'm not that tired Slick," she huffed.

"You didn't drink any of that coffee! I may be awake for a week." He took her paw and they walked through the bazaar and across Agave Avenue into the nearby botanical garden. The garden twinkled with white string lights which marked the path. Here and there were more lights dramatically highlighting various specimen plants, such a tall saguaro cacti and several spikey yuccas. Dwarfing everything below was the huge 1,000 foot tall palm tree shaped Oasis Hotel. Nick stopped at one of the plants and chuckled, "Look carrots it's a blue agave plant, they say they make tequila from it!"

"Is that the nasty tasting drink with the worm in the bottom of the bottle?"

"No, that's mescal and I will never know why they waste a perfectly good crunchy larva by drowning it in booze."

A few yards further down the trail, they looked up at a huge tree and Judy read the sign, "Dracaena cinnabari, also called the Dragon's Blood Tree because they use the red sap for injuries."

"Hey Fluff, do you think there ever were dragons?" the fox asked as he stared up at the plant. "They keep digging up fossils of all kinds of giant lizards."

"They're called dinosaurs and like those squirrel like primates, they're long gone. You really should have stayed in school."

"If I had I might have become a rich sophisticated businessmammal and would have never met a lowly meter maid," he chuckled. He looked down at Judy because she hadn't responded. Her ears were upright and she was staring into the darkness behind her.

"It sounds like someone is shoveling out there," she whispered. "It's too dark for me to see!"

Nick led her away from the trail and into the darkness, where they hid behind a boulder. He waited in the dark long enough for his eyes to adjust and then he peeked around the boulder, where he saw a small thin mammal trying to dig up a rare star cacti. "What is it with that damn weasel and plants?" Nick whispered. "It's Duke Weaselton stealing plants again. You stay here and I'll sneak around behind him, that way he'll run your way."

The fox quietly slipped off into the darkness as Judy located her small flashlight. She could hear the nearby sounds of the market and also the sound of a shovel digging in the gravel. After a few minutes she heard voices.

"Whatcha doing Duke Wessling?"

"It's Weaslton, not Wessling! Who are you fox?"

"Are you going blind mammal? It's me, your old pal Wilde."

"Shit, you're not getting me cop!"

"Look out!"

Judy winced at the weasel's scream of pain. "Call it in Carrots and call for an ambulance too!" Nick yelled. "Tell them to bring lots of tweezers!" She turned on her flashlight to see that the weasel had tripped and fallen into a patch of cacti and was covered with needles. By the time the ambulance arrived, he was sobbing in pain.

A couple coyote gardeners had arrived and one stood next to Nick. He shook his head and chuckled, "Maybe you foxes are right and it is karma. I mean to fall into a patch of cacti while stealing a cactus, now that's justice."

"That's why we foxes have an old saying that Karma's a bitch," he answered with a laugh. As he turned around, he slipped on a rock and toppled backwards tail first onto a small barrel cactus. The fox yelped and whined in pain.

Gingerly, the coyote carefully helped him into the ambulance and laid him on his stomach. Nick looked at the weasel and sighed, "That'll teach me to never make jokes about Karma again."

The medical technician was laughing too hard to continue pulling out needles. "Let's go, these two need to get to the hospital where we can see better," she called to the driver. Then she turned to Nick and asked, "Do I need to pawcuff you two together?"

"I don't know about Wilde, but I'm not going anywhere until you get these damn needles out of me!" Weaselton grumbled.

It was well after midnight by the time Nick was released from the hospital. He slowly walked out of the building. "I don't think I can sit for a while Judy," he yawned. "This is going to be a long ride home on the subway and I hope I can stay awake because these pain pills are making me really sleepy."

Judy looked up at him with concern. Before she could answer, a familiar voice spoke. "Geeze Nick, I leave you to go watch belly dancers and next thing I know you're in the hospital!" the raccoon chuckled. "You should take better care of yourself. Come on you two, I've got rooms next door at the Radishton Inn for the night." Judy began to object, but the raccoon sighed. "You two are my best friends, so don't insult me by saying no. It's impolite to refuse a gift from a raccoon, look it up on the internet!"

Judy whipped out her phone and typed in raccoon etiquette. Her nose twitched as she read, "Raccoons hold their family and friends in high regards, often giving them tokens or gifts. It is considered impolite to refuse a gift or attempt to repay such kindness."

"See I told you so," the raccoon said. "Come on its late and you both need some sleep."

As they entered the hotel, the night clerk handed Jake a bag and a bottle of chilled Champagne. "The delivery guy from Little Amir said for you to add a third of this powder into the tub and soak for an hour tonight. Then do the same thing in the morning and again tomorrow night," she said. "The liquor store guy said for you to have a good time." She winked at him and giggled.

They took the elevator to the fourth floor to a pair of adjoining suites. He opened the door to one of the suites and helped Nick into the room. "I'll leave you to get him into the bath," he said to Judy as he handed her the bag. "This is an herbal soak of motherwort, comfrey, and rosemary and you heard the clerk's instructions. Call me on the house phone if you have a problem, I'm just across the hallway." Judy followed him to the door and as she was closing it, she heard giggling while Jake opened his suite's door and called out, "So let's see this famous veil dance."

It took the rabbit some effort to keep her husband awake as he soaked in the warm bath and after a good soaking, she helped him get out and dried him off enough for the fox to climb into the bed. She then stripped off her uniform and laid down beside him while he slept.

She was startled awake by her phone ringing early the next morning. Answering it, she winced at the loud cheery voice of Benjamin Clawhauser. "Did Nick really sit on a cactus? I've never heard the chief laugh so loud! Is he ok? Chief Bogo said for you two to take the morning off, but he wants you to turn in your arrest report this afternoon. Fangmeyer wants Nick to phone in at nine for a conference call. Oh dear, I'm doing it again, sorry about talking too much. How is Nick?"

"That's okay Ben," she replied. "He's still asleep, but he will be hurting when he wakes. I'll be in around noon to do my report."

"Don't forget to have Nick call in at nine," Clawhauser reminded her.

"I will Ben," she added. "Thanks for calling."

The fox looked up at her and yawned. She marveled how his yawns used to stir a primal fear in her that she had to battle against, it was the sight of all those sharp teeth. But now she saw his yawns as…well cute. "Ben could wake the dead," he mumbled as he gingerly tried to sit up and was surprised he wasn't hurting as much as he or the doctor thought he would. He then watched Judy go into the bathroom and turn on the water. After a few minutes, he frowned as he listened to the sound of the water running and then slowly walked over to use the toilet before he slipped into the soothing hot bath.

Just as Nick settled into the bath, there was a knock on the door and when she opened it, she wasn't surprised to find Jake standing there with a pretty sand cat in a dancers outfit. "Good morning Judy!" he said. "I hope Nick is okay this morning?"

"He's soaking again, I think that the powder is really helping," she replied. "Thanks for having it delivered, but your being too kind."

"If you can't spend money on those you love, what good is it?" he answered with a shrug. Then realizing he hadn't introduced his companion he added, "I'm sorry, this is Simone. I met her last night, she is with the belly dancing troupe which did the show at the bazaar. She was showing me some erotic… I mean exotic dances last night."

"I'm sure she was," Judy snickered as she shook the cat's paw.

"Anyway, we went downstairs for the free breakfast and frankly it sucked," Jack quickly said. Judy wanted to chuckle because the raccoon's ears blushed as he handed her a paper bag and a tray of drinks. "So we went across the street and got you some yogurt, blueberries, bagels and strawberry jelly. We also have some coffee for Nick and some herbal tea for you." He wrapped his arm over the cat's shoulder and began walking across the hallway as Judy closed the door.

"What is with that raccoon and cats?" she asked her husband, who was still soaking in the tub.

"I don't know Carrots? But mammals say the same thing about me and a certain bunny!" he laughed.


	8. A Change of Plans

**Chapter 8: A Change of Plans**

* * *

Phil cringed as he called into the station, he was afraid that this might be the last day of his career as an officer. At first there were some unexpected jokes about an unfortunate accident that Nick had with a cactus and he was impressed the way the fox handled himself. Wolford got the best shot in when he said that Nick now knew how Bogo felt, having to deal with a pain in the ass.

"Focus mammals!" Fangmeyer growled. "Where are we at in finding a staging area for the team near Hyena Heights?"

"There aren't any motels nearby, mostly just commercial buildings, Johnson reported. "We found an old warehouse, but it's going to be hard to get in with our hardware without being seen."

"Actually, I've got a problem with the plan," the hyena cut in. "I have to talk to my Alpha before we start and if she agrees, then we can proceed."

"What the hell!" the tiger yelled. "You're supposed to be undercover Beltso, not blabbing to everyone in your clan."

"I know, but what you want me to do is improper," Phil replied. "It defies our traditions."

"I want you to do your job!" Fangmeyer roared, "I want you to find those damn hyenas and that tiger. I want you to act like a cop!"

"If I do it your way, I'll be cast out of the clan," the hyena replied, his voice was on the edge of a growl. "I will be nameless, never to see my daughters again. A broken mammal, alone and I can't do that, I won't do that."

Wolford cut in quickly, "Fang you've been to my house, you know the pack is a huge part of my life. As much as I love being a cop, I would resign before I lost my pack. You can't ask Phil to do such a thing!"

Velt spoke, "I was expecting this, because the brown hyenas I know back home are also clannish. Phil is your Alpha still Marjett Desod?"

"Yes sir!" the hyena confirmed.

"Tell her everything," Velt said.

"Why?" Fangmeyer asked. His voice had changed from anger to curiosity.

"Because I know Captain Marjett Desod and she's retired from the Central Savannah Republic Constabulary. I knew her when I was a rookie," Velt answered. "Of all the mammals in the world that Berendra fears the most, she's in the top ten."

Phil involuntarily jumped when Bogo unexpectedly spoke, "Beltso, tell Captain Desod that my father served with the tiger before quitting and moving to Zootopia over fifty years ago. Tell her my father is dead and its past time to bury the sins of my father."

The hyena knew the buffalo was using the old phrase for bring peace to an old wrongdoing and he did not hesitate give the traditonal reply, "Then may the honor of your family be restored and your ancestors rest in peace."

"Those ancestors who deserve peace," Velt sarcastically added.

There was monetary silence before Fangmeyer spoke again, "The balls in your court Beltso, but don't drop it! Johnson and Delgado, move on securing the warehouse. Does anyone else have anything to add?"

The fox spoke, "Before I discovered why you should not sit on a cactus, an old friend told me that the big mafia gangs have cutoff any chance of Scarface getting the diamonds recut. It seems he was planning to mount them in antique jewelry to sell."

"Any idea if his boss knows what he is up to?" Delgado asked. "I mean he allegedly works for one mean cat that I wouldn't try to double cross. Maybe Nick's buddy can ask around? After all, there are rumors he knows some of the mafia guys."

"NO!" the fox yelled over the phone. "I'm not dragging my best friend into this!"

"Agreed, he's a civilian," Fangmeyer said. "Proceed as discussed, over."

Phil sighed as the phone call ended and he returned into the house. He smiled as two cubs were placed into his arms. "Well, do you still have a job?" Susan asked.

"Yes, it turns out the jackal knows our Alpha. Did you know she was once a police captain? The jackal said the tiger fears her."

"Hell, I fear her sometimes! I knew she was once a police officer, but not a captain."

"I need to meet with her," he said as he knelt in formal submission. "I request that you intercede for me and arrange the meeting."

The female hyena had an amused look on her muzzle. "Maybe the others are right and I'm too modern, because looking at you on your knees makes me wonder if I could ever let any son of mine act that way? Of course, you would really be cute doing that if our daughters weren't in your arms and pulling on your ears." She helped him up and licked his muzzle.

"Will you call her?" he almost whined as she turned and walked away.

"Did I say no?" she growled. "By the earth goddess, you're going to be the death of me yet!"

* * *

He stayed at Susan's house until she took back his daughters for feeding and sent him away. She was still mad at herself for giving into his request and shoved him out the door. He walked back to the apartment he shared with four other males and sat on his cot thinking about the strange way Susan acted. He knew he loved her, not just cared for her like he did the other females. The way the city's society treated male and female relationships compared to the hyena way had him confused. There were some species, such foxes, which mated for life and were happy being together almost all the time. There was even that strange cop Nick who was with a rabbit and still happy.

Finally bored with waiting, he disassembled and cleaned his new pistol, even though it didn't need cleaning. He polished his shoes again, even though they already had a bright shine. He didn't own much, most everything was shared with the others, but his uniform, his weapons, and his manuals were his alone and in his heart he was proud to have them. He sighed and realized that he may be starting to care more about being a cop then being in any clan. At least there he was held as an equal by both his brothers and sisters in uniform and sometimes he was not happy to return home after his shift ended, because he became less than he was at work. He also knew that some of the others struggled with such feelings, but it was the way of his species that as a male he was less then lowest ranking female.

Like most of the hyena males, he was not a member of the clan he was born into and he moved around periodically. However, he always returned to his current clan and it was because of Susan, although he sometimes wished he could just walk away and leave his culture behind. He knew his cousin who was a musician, had walked away and they said he had mental breakdown and couldn't handle life alone. Unknown to the others, he had tracked his cousin down and found out that he was living in an apartment on Pack Street, although they didn't speak as he drove by in a patrol cruiser and he saw the hyena was sitting on the steps talking with a she wolf. His cousin seemed happy enough, but who really knew?

About an hour later, Apara showed up at his door. The younger male was both excited and confused as he relayed his message, "Susan sent me to tell you that you have been summoned before the Alpha and the elders tonight after dinner. You're to dress in your formal uniform and will be escorted by old Ben and Askia. You're to do what old Ben tells you tonight and not what you've been taught."

He spent the afternoon making sure his dress blues were immaculate and then he showered and trimmed his fur. Being too nervous to eat much, he had a microwaved bug patty and half a cucumber for dinner before he dressed. About a quarter to seven, Old Ben came to his room. The elderly hyena was the highest ranking male in the clan and although he was traditionally ranked below that of the youngest female, he was still held in high esteem. Despite his age, he was lean and muscular with an almost completely white muzzle. "Askia and I will escort you into the room and we will kneel, but tonight you are to stand." He stated to Phil. "Do not speak until asked to do so and then only address the Alpha. You are representing the police tonight, but do not forget your place as a clan member and still be respectful."

Askia arrived about seven thirty and was dressed in a long white robe with yellow and brown embroidery. He handed a robe to Ben, who quickly changed and joined them in the hallway, where they both picked up elaborately carved wooden shields. "Follow up ten paces behind us and when we knell you need to continue ten more paces and stop. Again do not knell, but stand at attention and only answer to our Alpha. This is important, only answer Alpha Marjett no matter who speaks," he warned the younger hyena.

Phil was expecting to be escorted to the alpha's duplex, but instead they walked around the house where they were greeted by six female warriors carrying torches and several tables where a dozen older females were seated. He realized these were not just clan Alphas, but the head Alphas of the twelve tribes who had emigrated to Zootopia. Following the older males, he passed the torch bearers. When he saw the two older males begin kneeling on either side of the row, he stepped ten more paces and stood rigidly at attention while staring at Marjett. His ears flicked as the other hyenas spoke.

"Who is the cub who dares stand in our presence?"

"Kneel, male and show respect!"

"Margett, what's this nonsense?"

"I said kneel male!"

A paw slammed on the table and Alpha Margett Desod stood. She looked at the now silent Tribal Alphas and then turned towards him and growled, "Who dares stand in our presence!"

He hesitated and then spoke in a loud and firm voice, "I am Phillip Beltso of the Zootopia Police Department!"

"Why do you come here tonight?"

"I've come to ask permission to hunt an enemy who is hiding in your territory!"

"Speak this enemy's name!"

"His name is Berendra, the Tiger!" he spoke the name in a deep voice. There were gasps and growls from the table. His eyes were locked on Margett's and she had not even blinked. His eyes wavered momentarily toward the table and he saw she had gouged farrows in the wood with her claws.

"Sisters this is the boon I ask tonight," she quietly stated. "Seek out this enemy and his allies, find them and tell this officer where he is hiding so he can be brought to justice. Each of you, send me a warrior and her shield bearer to plan our hunt in the morning."

Turning back towards Phil she asked, "Is he alone?"

"He travels with at least a dozen hyenas as his bodyguard," he answered.

She flicked her paw and the two older males stood and escorted him back out of the yard. As he was leaving, one of the warriors grabbed his arm and said, "You look good in that uniform. If we weren't cousins, I'd bed you myself!"

He left the group and walked towards Susan's house, because he wanted to tell her what happened. But first he called Sargent Fangmeyer and he left a message that everything went better the he had hoped and he would call back in the morning.

When he arrived at Susan's house, he knocked and the door was opened by her sister Karina. The hyena looked him over and whistled before chuckling, "You do look sexy tonight! I almost want to drag you upstairs for a good humping." He saw Apara standing in the room behind her and the younger hyena's ears dropped in disappointment. "Except, I've decided it's time to become a mother and I promised Apara he could be the father of my cubs. Besides, I think he's sexier and he's better hung."

"I was wondering if Susan was available?" he asked. He ignored the snide comment about the size of his hyenahood, after all he was a little over average and he never had a female complain about his performance. "I promised her that I would stop by and update her on what happened at the meeting."

Karina grinned and patted his head with her paw. "My sister's little pup has come running to her," she sarcastically replied. "Wait here and I'll fetch her!"

As the hyena left the room, Apara walked up to him and whispered, "I'm sorry she's in a bad mood, mad at me for something and I'm not sure why. She sent me away twice today, only to call me back before I left. Then she told me she wanted to breed with me tonight, I don't understand?"

"Females get this way," he chuckled. "Just roll with the flow, but you better give her a hell of a rutting tonight!"

"Who is you daddy rutting tonight?" he heard Susan say as she entered the room. She was carrying both of the girls in her arms. "It won't be you mother! Although he does look hot in his uniform and those pawcuffs do give me ideas." As he began to kneel in submission, she snapped, "Get up and tell me what happened before I burst with curiosity!"

He followed her upstairs to her bedroom and she laid the girls on the bed, sitting next to them she sighed, "I guess I need to name these two soon, they've reached the age for their naming. So come here and tell us how it went." As he went to sit on the bed, she stopped him and said, "Don't wrinkle your uniform! Take it off first and then come over here."

He stripped down to his boxers and sat across from her. His daughters crawled to him and he smiled as he told her what happened. He found himself spending the night again and just holding her in his arms.

He smiled and reflected on how good the day had turned out.

* * *

 **Postscript:**

 **I just discovered Weaver and his Pack Street stories! So I had to throw a reference about Pack Street into the story with Ozzie!**


	9. Nick's Bad Day

**Chapter 9: Nick's Bad Day**

* * *

Nick Wilde was not having a very good day, it was late in the afternoon and he found himself standing in one of the police interrogation rooms waiting for Chief Bogo to arrive. He sighed and put his head against the cold wall, things were just not going right for him lately. He was wearing his ZPD sweat suit, because all his cloths were gone, along with his pride.

His day hadn't started out very great and he spent most of his morning with his injured butt sticking in the air in a hotel room. Then there was the conference call with all the ribbing about his unfortunate evening. Just when he figured the day couldn't get worse, Bogo called and told him to come down to the station at three to meet with Forrester from Internal Affairs, Weaselton was claiming the fox shoved him into the cacti patch. He sighed and gingerly pulled his pants on and then his shirt as Judy watched with concern while he winced in pain, she was already dressed in her patrol uniform again. "Let's go get Jake and head home," he said.

Crossing the hallway, he knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He pulled out his phone and called his friend. Judy looked up at him and commented, "I hear his phone ringing in the room. Maybe we need to call the front desk?"

She briskly walked back into their room and called the front desk. "I'm trying to reach Mr. Runnel, have you seen him?" she asked.

"Oh, the raccoon with the cat!" The receptionist answered. "They're in the pool or at least he is, it looks like the cat refuses to get in the water. I reminded him that he needs to check out by eleven, but I don't see how he's going to make it?"

Judy rolled her eyes and mumbled, "He's your problem Slick. I'll be outside waiting.

The fox took the elevator to the lobby and walked over to the pool, thankfully Jake was the only one swimming. "Coon where's your bathing suit? You shouldn't be swimming in your underwear," he asked.

"Why not their dark colored and you can't see through them?" the raccoon replied.

"You've got fifteen minutes to grab your stuff and check out," Nick huffed. Tossing the raccoon a towel he the growled, "Get out..NOW!"

Grabbing the towel and wrapping it around his waist, the raccoon ran towards the elevator and yelled, "Are you sure I can't get a late check out Sergei?"

"No sir!" the receptionist called back. "The hotel is booked tonight, I told you that earlier."

At exactly 11:00, Jake returned to the lobby. He laid the key card on the counter and winked. "See we made it!" he announced to the fox.

It took them ten minutes to reach the subway and another ten for the raccoon to say goodbye to the dancer. "Are you ever going to see her again?" Nick asked.

"She was a nice dancer, but she was really not my type," he sighed. Then he gave the fox a mischievous smile and added, "I don't know?"

Judy turned to the raccoon and her nose was twitching as she asked, "Jake, your undershorts were wet and so you can't be wearing them. What did you do with your underwear?"

"I've got more at home!" he laughed to the blushing rabbit.

Jake and Judy hoped off the subway at the midtown station, his best friend was heading home to his suite at the Regency Hotel and Judy was going to the police station. Nick stayed on for three more stops before he exited and began walking towards his apartment. The sun shone down on the city, causing Nick to wish he had his sunglasses.

He arrived at his apartment and stretched face down on the bed because his butt was still sore. Finally his hunger motivated him to wander into the kitchen hoping that there was something edible in the refrigerator, neither he nor Judy were great cooks and they preferred to eat out. He rummaged through the contents within and grumbled. There were carrots, celery, and something that had been in its container so long that it now looked more like a science experiment than anything edible. The pantry fared even worse. Inside he found an old jar of peanut butter, which was the last thing a canid wanted to try to eat, along with a sack of dried beans, some moldy bread, and a can of spaghetti sauce. Sighing, he returned to the bedroom realizing he would have to dress and go out to eat. Gingerly he slipped on a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt, before grabbing his wallet and keys as he headed out the front door. As he opened the door, all he saw was a large paw with a white smelly rag before it covered his face and then everything went black.

* * *

He awoke to darkness and tried to move, but discovered he was securely tied to a chair. A door opened and the light behind silhouetted the curvy shape of a vixen. "Wake up Nich-o-las, darling!" she cooed as she entered the room.

"Crap Moxey, when did you get out?" Nick asked. "I thought you were a lifer?"

"Oh Nick-o-las you should haven know that I'd get out for good behavior!" she giggled as she entered the room. "I've been locked up a long time without a handsome fox like you to take care of my needs. Maybe we can play some before the boss gets here?" she pulled a blade out and straddled Nick's lap facing him. The male fox felt a series of tugs and the sound of his shirt being torn and cut off of him. She ran her paws through his chest fur and smiled. There was the poke of a blade and he felt the shorts being sliced and torn too.

Stepping back she giggled and asked, "No underwear, how convenient. But Nick-o-las, you used to be more excited to see me? Goodness, has that rabbit totally domesticated you?" She stepped forward and rubbed her paw over his sheath, he couldn't stop himself from reacting to the feel of her paws. "Much better," she sighed.

The door swung open and he heard a voice yell, "Gods Moxey, what the hell are you doing! I just wanted to deliver a message from the boss." A bright spot light was now shining in Nick's face, blinding him. He heard a series of slaps and the vixen's yips and whines. "Get her out!" the voice said.

The light was too bright for Nick to even open his eyes, as the voice spoke again, "Listen Wilde, that wasn't supposed to happen. Hell that is one sick vixen! Look the boss wanted you to know that he's called in his wayward child and that other tiger is now on his own. We found out they were planning to gas the subway and then hit three downtown banks while you cops were busy. We caught the shipment of cyanide, but he may have a few military weapons still. Look we may be criminals, but we're not some damn terrorist and we couldn't let him kill hundreds for a wad of cash. Well that's the message."

Leaning against the interrogation room wall, Nick had delivered the message and neither Bogo nor Fangmeyer were happy.

"That's all he said?" asked Fangmeyer. "Why didn't you ask where Berendra was?"

"Look I wasn't in a great position to ask questions," Nick sighed. "It went black and they stuck a rag soaked with chloroform over my muzzle. The next thing I know I'm being shaken awake by a patrol officer on the side of a road in the Rainforest District. It would have been nice if they had dressed me, I mean to dump me naked in front of a church!"

"Yeah and you were arrested for indecent exposure, you would still be the Sixth's holding cell if it hadn't been for your old pal Finnick," laughed Delgato. "It's a good thing your little pal got caught pulling that scam and was in booking."

"Yeah, I guess I need to bail him out?" Nick said with a smile.

The door opened and a deer in a blue suit stood in the hallway. He huffed, "Here you are fox! We need to talk about your mistreatment of…."

"Get out Forrester!" Bogo bellowed at the smug looking IA officer. "The weasel already dropped the complaint."

"But…." was all he got out before Delgato slammed the door in front of his snout.

"We'll issue a warrant for Moxey Denning," Fangmeyer said. "Are you sure you can't ID anyone else?"

"The light was too bright, but it sounded by Jimmy Runner. He's a cheetah who's reputed to be working in the Rainforest gang," Nick replied. "But I can't swear it was him."

"They've got cyanide gas too!" grumbled Bogo. "We've got to find that shit and see that it is disposed of properly."

"Why did he go for cyanide and not some easier to transport weaponized gas?" Delgato asked.

"Availability," Bogo sighed. "HCN is used in the extraction of gold and gold is mined in the Cape."

"I thought they switched over to corn starch?" Nick asked. "Didn't the university come up with an environmentally better process?"

"They're working on it," Bogo replied. "For now, we've got to alert everyone that someone has toxic gas on the streets. In the meantime Wilde, just go home and everyone standby. If Belto doesn't pan out, we will have to do a massive dragnet through Hyena Heights and I shudder about the political ramifications of doing that!"

Leaving the room, Nick slowly walked towards the lobby. His tail was dragging the ground behind him and his ears were flat upon his head. Clawhauser looked up from the reception desk and started to wave, but the cheery cheetah's smile became a frown as a deer move to intercept the fox. "Wilde!" Forrester yelled. "Your luck is going to run out on you one day and then your ass is mine!"

"Gee Branches, thanks for the offer," Nick replied. His ears were erect and he had his infamous smirk on his muzzle. "However I'm already married and besides, in case you haven't noticed the obvious, I'm into bunnies. I'm going home because unlike you loser, I have friends and one of the needs my help. SO GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"What are you going to do, bite me fox?" Forrester snapped. He was angry and had slightly lowered his antlers, as if to fight. Come on fox, show me those teeth!"

A voice growled from behind the deer, "He isn't going to bite you are you Nick?" Forrester turned around to face the pudgy cat. "But you're creating a scene in my lobby, scaring everyone with you baiting of Nick. If you don't get out of here, I'll file a complaint about you!"

Grumbling, Forrester sulked away leaving the fox and the cheetah alone. "Thanks Ben," Nick said. "I hope you didn't make enemy in Forrester."

"To quote the boss… I don't care!" Clawhauser replied, his cheery smile had returned to his face. "Forrester is a bigoted creep."

It was late in the afternoon before the fox made it back to his apartment, he was surprised to find the door shut and his wallet, cellphone, and keys were on the table. He looked through the wallet and everything was still there. Checking his messages, he winced because there was a call from a very angry Finnick wanting to know why he hadn't bailed him out yet. He called the Sixth to find out the amount of bail, only to find that his friend was already out and the charges had been dropped.

He called the little fox, "Finn, sorry I just got back to my pad and got my stuff…I swear was heading that way…no really…why did she drop the charges again?...odd…you okay?...I know I owe ya…I know…you always threaten to bite my face off!...yep, ciao!"

He felt his stomach grumble, but instead of leaving to get food he went into the bedroom and stretched out on the bed. Nick didn't remember falling asleep, but his eyes fluttered open as he smelled her scent and then felt her small paw rubbing between his ears. He had no idea how long he had slept, but he just sighed and closed his eyes again. The fox was not fully asleep, he could hear her as she hopped off the bed and began rummaging in the kitchen. His ears twitched as he heard her humming the tune of the latest Gazelle song. He tried to force himself to call her, and then he heard the door open as she left.

She wasn't gone long, but he smelled that she had returned with fried fish and potatoes. He heard her humming again and finally she walked into the bedroom. He remained perfectly still as she climbed into the bed and he let her get closer before he pounced. His paws caught hers and he held her body under his as he lapped at her neck. Judy giggled, until his mouth covered hers and then she moaned. "I'm hungry little bunny!" he growled in her ear.

"Dinners on the table," she sighed as he nipped under her throat. "I got you fish and chips!"

He was going to say something witty, but his stomach answered with a long growl and they both started laughing.

The fox laid there on his stomach and watched her take off her uniform and change into a pair of shorts and a loose oversized t-shirt. "So I hope you had a better day then I did?" he asked.

"Fairly routine," she sighed. "Just patrolled down by the docks with Francine, I didn't get kitnapped or almost raped by a vixen. Nope, we just found several barrels of weaponized cyanide that someone lost. You know, a typical day for a bunny cop."

"You found the cyanide?" he asked as he sat up and then winced at the pain still around his tail.

"Yep and you found an old crazy girlfriend!" she chuckled. "I think I was safer."

Slipping out of the bed, he followed her to the kitchen table. She had placed a pillow on a chair for him and a plate heaping with fried perch and fries. She had a plate of steamed greens with lemon and corn bread. "I like Mr. Vanlee, he always teases me about becoming a pred when I ask for the fried fish," she said as she sat in her chair. "He said that he saw you from his restaurant window earlier and you looked dejected. So he insisted on giving me a couple of scoops of dairy free blueberry cobbler to cheer you up."

"He's a great guy," Nick mumbled because his mouth was full of fish. Judy just looked at her husband and shook her head in disgust. "What?" the fox asked. "Do I have crumbs on my muzzle" his long tongue licked over his muzzle.

"Now I know what they mean about wolfing down your food," she replied.

"That's just wrong," Nick chuckled. "Some of our friends are wolves!"

"Your right," she said as she crossed he arms before her. "Wolves have better manners then you do Slick!"

After dinner, he soaked again in the bath and then climbed into bed. She joined him after a little while and he laid his muzzle in her lap. She was reading an old romance paperback novel she had purchased from a thrift store and her free paw started stroking between his ears. He mused that if he was a cat, he would be purring and it didn't take long before he nodded off again.


	10. A Warrior's Lonely Path

**Chapter 10: A Warrior's Lonely Path**

* * *

Phil and Susan couldn't help but chuckle at the late night noises coming from her sister's bedroom down the hallway. There were snarls and growls, so loud that he was worried that it might wake his sleeping daughters. Finally there was a female's sigh and quiet returned to the duplex. Phil whispered into the ear of the grinning hyena lying next to him, "I told him to give her a good rutting and he did! If he doesn't get his ear notched after that, I don't know what else he can do?"

They waited in the dark and listened, he felt her pull his head onto her chest. Finally she whispered back, "Well she didn't run to the bathroom to pee his seed out, so she was serious about breeding after all."

Phil almost jumped as her paw tenderly rubbed the fur on his chest, because she had never done that before. He reflected that since she had given birth, she was more caring to him and she wanted him around her, even more than before. Being hyenas, they wouldn't admit that they loved each other. His species was promiscuous, with the males being selected for sexual favors by the larger and stronger females. It was a maternal society and the females were in charge, but they still were evolved animals and the longing for companionship from a favorite of the opposite gender was still there.

He actually tensed up as her paw moved down his chest and towards his waist. Feeling his reaction, she whispered, "It's been over six weeks since our daughters were born and the clinic nurse said I can have some sex, I'm just to take it easy."

He grunted as she pushed him onto his back and licked his muzzle and the side of his throat. He was aroused, swollen, and erect as he pressed himself against her long clitoris, which too had an erection of sorts. As she lowered her muzzle to lick him again, he took a chance and kissed her instead. She quickly pulled back and growled, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I've never kissed anyone before," he mumbled in an apologetic voice, almost a whimper. "You know, like the other mammals do?"

She rolled off him and sighed, "We're hyenas, not like the others. It's not our way, you know that!"

Instead of backing off he snapped back, "Why can't we change? I want to do things new and different. How can a kiss be that bad?"

"Fine, you want a dammed kiss!" she snarled and tossed him back onto the pillow. She lowered her muzzle and after an awkward moment, their muzzles met again. Her tongue entered his mouth and she became more passionate. His paws moved to her breasts and she moaned as he gently squeezed her tits, "We did something new, now I want you inside me the old way," she said as she turned to let him mount her.

Afterwards, he laid exhausted in her arms as she licked his ear. "Okay, so a kiss wasn't that bad." She whispered into his ear. "Now I'm going to pee. You had better not have made me pregnant again!"

He rolled onto his stomach and smiled as he watched her leave the room.

* * *

Early the next morning Phil went back to his apartment and dressed into his field uniform before he down the alpha's house. Old Ben greeted him at the door. "Have you had breakfast yet?" the elderly hyena asked. When the younger hyena shook his head no, he added. "We're around back on the patio, so go ahead and I'll get you a plate."

As he walked out onto the patio, he saw Margett sitting at the table reading a newspaper and sipping her coffee. She was dressed in slacks and an old faded tan uniform shirt, which matched the one that Ben was wearing. "Don't kneel!" she snapped at him as he began to lower himself down. "When you are in uniform, you are a warrior. Warriors only kneel to kings or queens as it is our right to stand before all others. But when you are out of uniform, I expect you to respectfully kneel."

Ben had come out of the house balancing three plates heaping with scrambled eggs, grilled fish, and melon. Setting the plates on the table, he stood back and nodded. "That's the closest to a kneel you getting from me this morning, I 'm still hurting from last night! I'm too old for all this up and down, traditions or not." he grumbled.

"While you're up, refill my coffee and get a cup for the officer!" Margett snapped.

"I'm your Shield Bearer, not an orderly," he complained as he took her cup back into the kitchen.

Hesitantly Phil approached a seat to the alpha's left, but the elderly hyena shook her head. "That's Ben's seat, he always sits to my left by tradition. A Shield Bearer always stands to the left, to protect a warrior's exposed flank."

"Sorry," Phil said as he sat down on her right side. "I was expecting the others to be here this morning."

"They'll be here in an hour or so, "she said. " I wanted time to talk to you about your place in the clan, because you're one of a few males who were ever warriors. Ben was a police officer too, but he is my Shield Bearer and not a warrior." Phil was surprised when she lovingly put her paw on the returning older male's arm. "A bond between a warrior and her Shield Bearer is unique, almost like a marriage. He is the father of eight of my ten children."

"I can tell you it was no fun sleeping in the hallway while you rutted other males," Ben grumbled.

"You keep whining like a dog and I might decide to take Phil into my bed tonight," she chuckled.

"Well you two can rut right next to me," Ben laughed. "I'm too old to sleep on a pallet in the hallway."

Phil was shocked when the elderly hyena leaned over and actually kissed the male's cheek. "Shut up and eat your breakfast dear," she chuckled. Turning back to Phil, she continued, "Being a male you can't have a Shield Bearer and as a warrior, you can never become Susan's either. But I've seen the way you look at her, you love her."

Phil looked down at his plate, "Then what you're saying is I can never bond with Susan as long as I am a police officer?"

"By tradition, no," Margett sighed. "But Susan is not a warrior, so she can never have a Shield Bearer anyways."

"Too complicated!" Ben grumbled. "That's why we're never going back to the homeland. Too many traditions, too many do's and don'ts. We need to change some of our ways or otherwise we will always be outsiders."

"Not your place dear," Margett snapped. There was a hint of steel in her voice and Ben's ears went flat.

"Coffee," he abruptly said and stood. Picking up her cup, he ambled towards the kitchen. Phil could hear his angry muttering, "I'm just a male…not my place…damn!"

"So what are you telling me?" Phil asked.

"Did you know my mother was not a warrior, but a farmer?" Margett said and to the younger hyena, it seemed that she was avoiding an answer. "I have six brothers and sisters, all with the same father. My mother took others to her bed when she was younger, but only bred with my father. When he died, she carried him to his grave and never took another to her bed. Love among us hyenas can be strange, but it does exist and always by has. Maybe we understand that no mammal can or should ever own another, but if we truly love each other then we should just enjoy the times we are together."

"So my life is set to go where I'm told, to wait to be summoned by any female who wants me?" the younger hyena sighed. "At work I 'm an equal and at home, I'm less because I was born a male."

"That's our lot in life buddy," Ben said as he handed Margett her coffee cup. "To always be second class citizens."

"You're over dramatic dear," Margett sighed.

"No I'm not!" the elderly hyena snapped. "I was thirty before I was allowed to vote in the homeland and that was only because of the lions changed the laws, not any hyenas. That's why I'll never return there! At least here in this city by law I'm an equal and I only stay here by your side because I swore an oath to you as your Shield Bearer."

The female hyena's ears flattened as she asked, "Is that the only reason?"

"You know it's not," Ben grumbled. "I'd miss your grouchy old puss too."

"As I would be lost without yours," Margett smiled as she rubbed the notches in his ear.

"Sometimes I wish I was born a wolf," Phil sighed. "At least their males think that they're in charge, even when they really aren't."

Both Margett and Ben chuckled at his statement.

"I don't want to be disrespectful, but the old ways are not the ways of the city," Phil said in a timid voice. "In school they teach that we should all be equal, whether we are male or female, predator or prey, and straight or gay."

"Yet in school don't you have males who try to dominate females, prey which fear predators, and straights who hated gays?" Margett asked. "We all bring our cultural beliefs with us to the city and it's our past which is part of us for good or bad."

"And if you pee in the water, it's tainted!" Ben grumbled. "So we teach our cubs not to do so. Isn't it as simple as just changing our ways?"

"Dearest, not all the females would agree with change," the elderly female sighed. "They hold close to the old ways and traditions. To them, all else is wrong."

"With that mindset, we would all still be running on all four paws and eating zebra meat," Phil added. "We had to evolve ourselves before, maybe we have to do so again?"

"The others are here," Ben announced.

"Well my dear warrior it's time to get to work," the Alpha said to Phil. "Now you're going to find out how badly we are set in our ways, because it's time for you to tell us what to do. Remember, you are in uniform and that makes you their equal. Some won't like that, but they will obey, because today you're in charge."

Some of the females were not happy at all, but Margett was right and they would do as told. By midmorning a small army of hyenas were poking around the neighborhoods. The trap was closing on the old tiger and hopefully he was unaware.


	11. Death in the Bayou

**Chapter 11: Death in the Bayou.**

* * *

In the darkness, the fox felt the rabbit stirring as his foxhood was pressed against her back. She turned and yawned before kissing him on the side of his muzzle. He kissed her on the mouth and she responded with passion. Pushing her onto her stomach, he mounted her from behind and began driving himself into her with primal lust until finally he was satisfied. He grimaced as she once again snuggled into him, because she was dripping and sticky. "You get to wash the sheets tomorrow," she muttered before falling back to sleep. Nick just sighed and tried to get comfortable.

A few hours later, their alarm buzzed and Nick rolled on his back, he let out a growl. "Come on Nick, you've got to clean up before we go for our morning run." Judy said as she stretched and hopped off the bed. "You promised me you would start running with me again."

"Mmmfpt!" was all the fox could say at first. He yawned and gave a little whine before he sat up. "No sun…too early…fox sleep." He collapsed backward on the bed with a groan.

The rabbit hopped back on the bed and said, "Fox up…run as promised…no sex again if don't"

"Not fair!" the fox chuckled. "But your too late for that threat, I beat you to it last night."

"Nothing like being rudely awakened with a fox inside of you," the rabbit sarcastically replied. "Wham…bam…thank you ma'am."

"Sorry fluff," the fox almost whined. "I just needed you." His ears were flat on his head and his tail was wrapped closely to his side.

"I needed you too, Slick!" she replied as she leaned towards him for a kiss. Slapping his tail away, she added, "Now I need you to get up and go running with me."

"Ugggggh!" the fox growled as he rolled out of his bed and wandered towards the bathroom. "My butt still hurts!"

"Slick, we need hurry if we're going to get five miles in before work!" the rabbit said.

Finally he rummaged around, found his shorts and a t-shirt, and then followed her out the door.

* * *

"So you were kitnapped by a crazy old girlfriend?" Wolford asked.

"She wasn't always crazy," the fox sighed. "When we first met, she was sweet but naive. I guess she just ran off the sanity tracks a few years later. I was only eighteen when she caught me trying to scam some old widow out of a few bucks and stopped me flat in my tracks. One thing led to another and we ended up in bed a few times. I didn't love her, but was just using her for the sex." The fox sighed again at the wolf's disapproving look. "Loyalty, duty, and honor are all wolf beliefs and not something taught to foxes. I was young, horny and stupid, and then she told me that she loved me. I ran away like a pup and avoided her for years. Sometime during that time, she lost her job and ended up on the streets working as a hooker. She got into drugs and it has warped her mind, now she runs scams for the mob."

"She's now a liability to mob," Wolford said. "They know we're after her for kitnapping you and so she is a link to the Big Cat himself. She's not safe and we need to find her quick or she will be dead."

"Wilde...Wolford..!" Clawhauser's voice came over their radios. "Report in immediately. Guys they've seen your vixen! A patrol car has just seen Moxey and a mangy lion heading up toward the Black Bayou in the Rainforest District, the officer held back and radioed it in. Bogo wants you two to head up there and bring her back."

It took about forty minutes for them to arrive and the officer was waiting for them at the trailhead. "The lion's got her tied up in the old shack down by the docks," the tapir said. The tall mammal had a double barreled tranquilizer gun in addition to an old fashioned dart gun. Watching the wolf charge up his taser rifle, he added, "There's a lot of water around here so be careful with that gun, I'd hate for you to zap yourself."

As silently as possible, they began approaching the cabin. Suddenly the door flew open and a muscular but mangy lion walked out with Moxey slung over his shoulder. The vixen was screaming for help and pleading as he walked towards the pier. Nick heard Wolford whisper, "What the hell is he doing?"

"Police, put her down now!" the tapir yelled. "Stay away from the water!"

The lion turned towards the cop with wide eyes, but instead of stopping he ran up the embankment towards a pool of slime covered water.

"Stop him!" the officer yelled as he kneeled and fired both barrels into the fleeing lion's back. The lion staggered as he reached the top of the embankment and then lifted the vixen over his head and threw her into the water.

Wolford fired his taser gun and the lion shook as the electrical charge stunned him. He was already groggy and fell backwards down the embankment.

"Moxey", Nick yelled as he sprinted towards the top of the embankment he began to tear off this shirt and pulled at his dart proof vest.

"No don't!" the tapir yelled as he tackled the fox. "She's dead by now!"

"No, we can save her!" Nick replied as he wiggled himself loose and climbed on all fours to the top of the embankment. He skidded to a halt as he looked at the water before him in shock. The bloody water was foaming as huge alligators were fighting over the dead vixen's remains. Below him the lion was desperately clawing at the jaws of a reptile which had firmly latched onto the mammal's legs and was dragging him further into the water. Drawing his pistol, the fox fired all three tranquilizer rounds at the alligator. He was reloading his gun when, Wolford reached him and dragged him from the edge.

"Nick!" the wolf shook him. "Get a hold of yourself!"

The fox looked at the wolf and then down at where the lion had by now been dragged to his death into the water. A smaller seven foot gator was trying to climb up the muddy embankment towards the wolf and the fox. Grabbing the telescoping taser baton that Jake had given him, the fox put it on maximum setting and it crackled with sparks, Q had told him the taser could drop a bull. As the alligator opened its jaws and hissed, Nick yelled, "Eat this you bastard!" He threw the baton into the reptile's gaping jaws. The beast went tense and shook for a few moments before it slid backwards, with now sightless eyes, into the water below.

Wolford pulled Nick off the embankment and towards the cabin. They could hear the other officer on the radio calling for Fish & Wildlife to dispatch officers to the scene and also reporting into his station.

Nick sat on the old shack's porch and Wolford joined him. Sighing, the wolf pulled his radio out and called into dispatch. "Ben get me Fangmeyer…Fang, she's dead, a lion tossed her into a gator pit…Nick's okay, but really shook up…me too!...Fish & Wildlife has been called…nothing could have been done…give us a moment, then we'll head back."

The tapir joined them and sat down, "It looks like I'm going to be here for a while. Once the F&W guys get here you two can book, but they'll want statements first. Look guys, shit like this happens too much up here, this isn't the first gator attack I've seen. She was a damn good looking vixen too!" he said as he shook his head.

Nick looked up at him and growled, "She was an old friend! Who was that damn lion?"

"Sorry pal," the officer replied. "Locals called him Silent Bob because he was a mute. Been living up here for close to ten years, rumor say he disposed of bodies for some gang. Never could pin him down, at least not until today."

Nick stared at the embankment, there were tears in his eyes, and he mumbled, "She didn't deserve this…I should have treated her nicer…"

Wolford put his paw on the fox's back and said, "Nick you shouldn't blame yourself, she got in with some bad mammals. You couldn't have saved her."

The fox only answered with a sniffle.

* * *

After filing their report with Fangmeyer, Bogo sent the two officers home. It was late and Judy had already left by the time Nick finished. Boarding the subway, he sighed as an old goat looked at him in disgust and let out a hummph _. Some things never change, do they?_ He thought before looked out the window. He exited at this street's station and slowly walked towards his apartment, his feet felt like lead and his tail was dragging behind him. Step by step he made his way up the building's three stories to his apartment and sighed as he saw the doorknob. Digging for his keys, he unlocked the door and inside he could smell chicken and rice, which was one of his favorite dishes. Glumly, he looked towards the bedroom and he could hear her humming. She called out to him and his tail wagged some in happiness at the sound of her voice. "Nick are you okay?" she asked again as she entered the room.

He wearily sat down on the couch and she came over to him. Lifting his face with her paws, she peered into his eyes. He blinked at the look of concern she gave him with her lovely violet eyes, she was so beautiful and more then he deserved in his life. Gently she kissed him on his cheek and pulled his muzzle to her breast as he cried.

He had no appetite, so they just talked late into the night as Nick told her about Moxey and the way he mistreated her. Judy knew that he just had to mourn and listened as he went from being disgusted to angry with himself, finally he fell asleep with his head in her lap.

It was well past midnight when Judy managed to awaken him enough to go to bed, where he tossed in turned in his sleep as she cleaned up the kitchen. The fox dreamed of beady eyes peering at him from the murky waters. In his dream a raccoon was standing in the water looking at him, when suddenly huge toothy jaws bit down on the coon. "Jake!" he screamed as he awoke and frantically searched for his phone. Dialing his friend he muttered, "Answer coon…come on answer!"

"Wwwhat?" Jake said as he answered the phone. The raccoon didn't sound quite right, he was mumbling. "Ow, don't bite my tail!"

"Are you okay?" Nick frantically asked. Judy had entered the room and looked at him with concern. "Who's biting you? DO YOU NEED HELP?" He yelled in the phone.

"Hunh, it's Nick," Jake mumbled as he was talking to someone else. Then he said, "Diamonds said get your own coon, fox." There was a thump and Nick heard giggling followed by a female's moan. He looked up at Judy and his ears were laid flat. "I think he's busy," the fox said as he hung up the phone. "I had a nightmare that an alligator ate him."

"Oh Nick!" Judy said as she climbed into the bed. "Jake's fine!"

"I think he's more than fine," the fox chuckled. He pulled the bunny closer to him and whispered in her ear, "You know you love me?"

"Do I know that?" Judy giggled. "Yes, yes I do!"

She slipped from the bed and stripped off her clothes before turning off the light. Gently she climbed back in bed and snuggled up to her emotionally drained fox. He yawned and the she felt him rub her with his chin, before he sighed and his tail wrapped over her.

Before he fell back asleep, Nick could smell his rabbit and the scent of his mark. His bunny was safe, his friend was safe, and now he could finally relax.


	12. If the Pickup's Rocking

**Chapter 12: If the Pickup's Rocking**

* * *

It was a little after ten in the evening when he heard knocking on his suite's door and Jake looked up from his laptop with a frown. Dressed in nothing but a pair of running shorts, he padded his way to the door and peeked through the eye hole. On the other side of the door stood a gorgeous cape jackal dressed in a low cut white blouse and jeans. Quickly he opened the door and exclaimed, "Hey, what brings you downtown pretty lady?"

Melinda stepped towards the raccoon and gave him a quick kiss as she stepped into his room. Her tail flicked over and swished down the raccoon's as she walked by him. "Just a bad date, "she sighed. "Jerk was all muscles and no brains. So since I was in the neighborhood, I thought I say hello."

Her eyes swept over the half-naked raccoon as he was leaning with his arms crossed against the door. He grinned and replied, "Well hello then, would you like a drink or something?"

Looking down at the laptop sitting next to a notepad and some schematic drawings, she slightly frowned. "Sorry, I didn't know you were busy," she said. "I should have called."

"I not really that busy," the raccoon replied as her walked over to her. "Just looking at ZooSecurity's latest alarm system and trying to find any weaknesses." He chuckled as she leaned over and begin looking at the schematics with interest. Melinda was an Insurance investigator and also very familiar with burglar alarms and security systems. He reached out with his paw and ran it down her tail, she stiffened and turned around. "Like I said earlier, would you like a drink or…something?"

The Jackal stepped forward and ran her paws through his chest fur, before kissing him. "What do you mean by something?" His paws reached down and cupped her ass, pulling her closer. "Oh, I see I have a randy raccoon in my paws!" Her paw ran along his raccoonhood which was now tenting his shorts and he slightly groaned.

Stepping back, he grinned as he walked towards the bedroom and dropped his shorts behind him. She could see he was ready, but instead of walking towards the bed, he went to the dresser. The jackal cocked her head slightly as he pulled on a pair of undershorts. "Hey, I think since you've already had dinner," he said. "I believe its dancing before the strip search." She giggled, because that's what she had told him when they first met on Saturday.

She couldn't stop her tail from happily swishing as she watched him dress. He was lean, but muscular and cute. "Who said that there's going to be a strip search?" she giggled.

He was zipping up his jeans as he looked at her with a grin and replied, "I'm a raccoon and we're optimists."

"I think you're more opportunistic," she sighed.

His head popped out of his sport shirt and he said, "No I'm a horny young male and that makes me opportunistic. Besides, aren't you the one who just tailed me?"

"You started it," she answered with a smile. "By the way, what time do you have to work in the morning?"

"I own the company, so whenever I show up," he said as he walked out of the bedroom. "Besides, Jimmy Ratzolli really does most of the daily management. What about you?"

"Just some paperwork I was planning to do remotely, with my job I don't have an office anyways." She said as she stepped over to him and nuzzled his neck. She could smell the musk of an aroused raccoon and smiled as he slightly lifted his chin. "Maybe you should tell your associate that you're going to be late tomorrow, if you make it at all…" She was going to say more, but he gave her a passionate kiss.

Jake shook his head as he stepped back and out of her arms. "We keep this up and we'll never make it to the honkytonk," he sighed. "If I recall, it's Ladies Night with half off on frozen Margaritas?"

"Maybe you should pack a bag?" she suggested and laughed as the raccoon suddenly ran back into the bedroom and began to enthusiastically throw things into a duffle bag. He reached into a drawer by the bed and grabbed a couple packets of condoms and then looking over his shoulder, he tossed whole box into the bag.

He grinned and shrugged as he told her, "Optimistic?" She just answered with a giggle.

* * *

The middle of the week was slow at the Desert Rose Bar in the Canyonlands, but there were the regulars at the bar as usual and they cheered as Melinda entered the building. Jake paid the cabbie and followed her in with his duffle bag slung over his back. All heads turned towards the coon and stared until a big wolf named Hank yelled, "Hey, look its Diamond's coon!" Then slapping him on the back, he laughed, "Guess you're more than a one night stand, so let me buy you a beer."

The raccoon looked over at the jackal who was talking to a couple of coyotes. Smiling, he turned to Hank and said, "Let me find out what Melinda…ah Diamonds…wants first."

As he walked over to her, she grabbed his paw and pulled him closer. Reaching over, she pulled his duffle bag from his other paw and tossed it to the bartender. "Chrissy, can you put this somewhere?" she asked. "Oh, you remember Jake?"

"Yeah, Saturday Night!" the coyote laughed. "Fair dancer, but he needs to use his tail more while dancing. Don't you ever wag that tail cutie?"

"We coons don't wag out tails," he grinned. "They give us balance."

The coyote practically jumped onto the bar, as she leaned over and grabbed his tail with her paws. "Too bad!" she said in a sultry voice. "It's such a cute tail too."

"My date!" Melinda play growled. "Go hit on someone else's coon."

"Aw, you're not in a sharing mood?" Chrissy asked. She had both her paws on her hips and winked at the raccoon. Then turning, she grabbed a shot glass, whipped a lime across the top and dipped it in salt. She pulled a bottle of Tequila off the shelf and filled the glass. Melinda picked the glass up, licked the rim and tossed the drink down.

"What's in the bag coon?" Hank asked as he joined them at the bar. Before he could answer, Chrissy unzipped it and stuck her paw into the bag.

"Hey!" Jake said, but his ears were blushing when Chrissy held up a pawful of condoms.

Hank stared at the raccoon with a grin on his muzzle, Chrissy laughed, and Melinda just looked at the two of them and shrugged. "He's an optimist," she said.

Jake put a paw over his still blushing face as most the bar was now laughing. Melinda just tossed back another shot of Tequila, as Chrissy handed them both longneck beers. "Hey Lefty we want to dance!" Melinda yelled at a coyote by the stage.

The coyote stepped onto the stage and picked up his guitar, he was joined by another coyote who sat at the piano. "You want slow or fast music darling?" he announced.

"Have you ever done the two step?" she asked Jake and he shook his head no. Turning back to Lefty, she yelled, "Gotta teach him first, so make it slow."

They danced for a while and Jack caught on fairly quickly, he was actually a good dancer. He was on his third beer and feeling a tad uninhibited, but Melinda had two more shots of Tequila and was not only feeling uninhibited, but feeling the raccoon up a little too much. Finally she slammed him into the bar with a kiss, "I want you!" she whispered in his ear.

"I'll get my stuff and call a taxi", the raccoon replied.

Instead, she grabbed his shirt collar and began pulling him towards the door. As she passed Hank, she stopped and rummaged through his pockets until she found some keys. "It's unlocked Diamonds, just roll down the windows!" he snickered. She grinned and tossed his keys back to him.

Jake wasn't sure what was going on as she yanked him into the parking lot. "I thought you wanted to leave?" he asked.

Pushing him against an old pickup truck with a camper shell, she kissed him again and put her paw on his crotch before answering, "No, I want you!" He heard the pickup's tailgate fall and turned to see a worn mattress inside. "Inside and strip!" she ordered.

Hank and a few other patrons had stepped outside with their beers and watched his truck as it rocked. They snickered as the heard the moans and grunting. They then heard a female's howl and Hank laughed, "Pay up boys, I told you her could make her howl." The others laughed as they slapped cash into his paw and walked back into the bar.

The small band was playing when they returned to the bar and as they walked in, the band switched to a song called _Ain't Going Down_ and when Lefty reached the song's lyrics _"One o' clock that truck is rocking. Two is coming, still no stopping.."_ the patrons joined in and lifted their drinks toward the satisfied looking jackal and the embarrassed raccoon.

"I think you need to take our wild child back to her home, I've called you a cab," said Chrissy as she leaned over the bar. "I should have warned you Tequila makes Diamonds horny, although a quickie in the parking lot is a first for her."

"Yeah, for me too!" Jake nervously laughed.

"Don't worry about that," the coyote chuckled. "Hank's pickup has seen that kind of action before. In fact, he's plowed me a few times in it and the way I'm feeling, he might do so again tonight after we close. He keeps saying one day he'll get it to run again."

"You mean it doesn't work and just sits out there in the parking lot?" Jake asked.

"Nope, it hasn't moved in three years," the coyote replied with a grin. "Well, that's not true because it's rocked up and down a lot." She laughed as the jackal pulled the raccoon towards the dance floor.

* * *

The two mammals staggered into the jackal's apartment and the raccoon watched as she left a trail of discarded clothing in her wake, as she made it to the bedroom and plopped onto the bed stark naked. "You going to join me or are you just enjoying the view?" she asked.

"I'm really enjoying the view," he said. She frowned as he sat on a chair facing the bed.

"Fine you want something to look at!" she snapped back. "I'll give you something to watch. Her paws ran over her body as she licked her muzzle. Jake stood up and slowly began to peel off his clothes as he walked towards the bed, stopping to unzip and grab a paw full of condoms from his bag.

After they finished, she snuggled herself under his arm and ran her paw through his chest fur. "I don't know about you, but between the booze and the banging, I'm a little dizzy. You want a mug of tea?"

Jake nodded, but as she tried to sit up, he rolled on top of her again and kissed her before saying, "I'll make the tea." Then he rolled off the bed and wobbled a bit as he stood.

"I'm out of Honey Bush tea, but there's some dried lemon balm leaves in a baggie," she said as he walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. He didn't turn the lights on, because the blinds were open and the lights of Tundratown reflected on the snow covered patio. Turning a burner on, he filled the kettle with water and put it on the flames.

In the semidarkness he found a bag of dried leaves shoved in the back of the pantry and tossed a couple pawfulls into the tea ball and put it into the kettle of now boiling water. As he waited for the tea to steep, he walked over to the widow and looked out at the snow cover landscape before him. He shivered as he looked at the cold view. Melinda had told him that she lived in Tundratown because the residents were much less prejudice of predators. He shivered again as he returned to the kitchen and found two mugs, he poured the tea and tasted it. His lips tingled and it was warm with an odd taste, but he liked it and took a gulp. Refilling his mug, he carefully carried them back into her bedroom.

She had slipped under the covers and gave him a low whistle as he walked back into the room. Her eyes swept over his lean muscular body and she giggled, "I should have you make me tea more often." He rolled his eyes and handed her a cup, he had already finished half of his cup and plopped onto the bed. The room was swimming before his eyes and he had to concentrate before slurring out, "I've never had Lemon Balm before."

Melinda tasted the tea and it tasted strange, she tasted it again and giggled. "Jake that's not balm, that's my stash of catnip!" She didn't get a chance to say anything else because the raccoon pounced on her with a growl and a kiss.

* * *

Jake awoke as the morning sun poured into the bedroom and he groaned from his hangover. He couldn't remember much from the night before, just hearing Nick's voice from far away. His tail was sore and he wondered if Melinda must have bit him a little too hard. He sat up and yawned, then groaned again as he stumbled to close the curtains. "Thanks!" the Jackal mumbled from beneath the covers. She finally poked her head out and yawned, before muttering, "Morning coon, I think you made a mess last night. Too bad I don't remember much."

Slipping into the bed, he felt her snuggle closer and realized what she meant, when her leg moved onto his and he felt that she was sticky between her legs. "Sorry," he sighed. "Last time I did this, I got beat up." He flinched as the doorbell rang and someone was knocking. "It had better not be Jerry!" he groaned.

"Uh, could you get the door?" The jackal asked with a giggle. "I don't want to drip my way across the apartment."

He pulled on her robe and padded to the door. Peeking through the keyhole, all he saw was black. "Open the door dude!" a voice called.

He opened the door and looked up at Kevin, the tall polar bear in the black suit grinned down at him. "Nice robe, it brings out you feminine side!" the bear chuckled.

"How did you know that I 'm here again?" Jake asked. "Is Mr. B having me followed?"

"Nah, everyone knows his favorite coon and when they see you they call," Kevin answered. "But Mr. B wants you and Melinda to swing by the mansion before you leave town, he wants to talk her about some diamonds."

Melinda appeared at the bedroom door, wrapped in a stained bed sheet and asked, "He found them?"

"I don't know, I'm just the messenger," the bear answered with a grin. "I'll tell him you'll stop by later this morning after you two clean up. You two really need to clean up!" He laughed as Jake closed the door.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes:**

 **Melinda aka Diamonds first met in Chapter 5 of Zootopia: A Raccoon's Redemption. She tells him that it was dinner and dancing first before he could strip search her. The song** _ **Ain't Going Down**_ **was written by** **Kent Blazy** **,** **Kim Williams** **, & Garth Brooks. **


	13. Ambush!

**Chapter 13: Ambush!**

* * *

There was an unpleasant smell in the air, an unfortunate drawback of living so close to the city's largest dump. Now in his civilian clothing, Phil walked down the roadside towards the warehouse that the ZPD had rented as a base of operation. He walked past the tire recycling plant, with its machinery still grinding away, the old junk yard, and past the liquor store. He frowned at the sight of a number of male hyenas standing uselessly around, smoking and drinking during the middle of the day. Unemployment was rampant in the community, with almost twenty percent of the males either unemployed or under employed. Alcohol and drug abuse was a community struggle, along with physical abuse of males by the larger more aggressive females.

Coming towards him, a trash truck rumbled down the street and there was nothing unusual about that. Phil just gave it a quick glance before he began to pull out his cell phone, but something unusual caught his eye. He looked again, just in time to dive out of the truck's way as it swerved towards him. The truck slammed to a halt and the hyena rolled into a ditch as the zing of high velocity pellets whizzed just over his ears.

"Dispatch, this is Officer Barsto!" he yelled into his radio. "Clawhauser! I'm being shot at!" He drew his tranquilizer gun and fired four rounds at one of the two mammals who fired back with their more lethal air rifles

A car slammed to a halt and one of the mammals hauled a frighten sow out of it. He shoved her onto the ground and then the assailants leapt into the car and roared off away from the officer.

Barsto called in the car's make and tag as he ran to check on the pig. "Police!" he yelled as he ran towards her, she squealed in fear and trembled as he approached her. Holding his badge in his paw, he added, "Calm down, I am a police officer. Are you alright?" Backup will be here in a few minutes, can you stand." He could see she was afraid of him and so he backed away. "Help is on its way."

Turning his back to her, he approached the abandoned garbage truck and his ears dropped as he saw the bodies of the two raccoons staring with sightless eyes. "Dispatch, tell the CSI team, we've got two dead city sanitation workers," he radioed.

A squad car, with its sirens blaring, squealed to a stop behind him and he heard a yell "Police! On the ground with your paws spread."

He raised his paws into the air and turned to show his badge, "He's got a gun!" Phil heard the officer cry out in a panicked voice.

"I'm a cop!" he yelled.

"Shut the hell up and get on the ground," an officer snapped back.

Phil tried not to cackle, but he failed and then he felt the sting of taser prongs hit him and the electrical charge tear through his body. He pitched muzzle first onto the ground. Vaguely, he felt his paws being handcuffed behind him. The muzzle of a taser rifle was being pressed into the back of his head. "Give me the slightest reason to taser you again laughing boy!" said the zebra police officer. Barsto's ears flicked back as he heard the gun's electronic crackling.

There was a lion's roar, "Stand down officer…now!"

Humiliated, the hyena laid on the ground. He could see curious and then angry hyenas gathering nearby, their cackles and cruses began to fill the air as he heard more and more sirens.

He heard a familiar voice, "Why the hell did you taser Officer Barsto? Get him off the ground and those damn pawcuffs off of him now! You go anywhere near him with that muzzle and I'll shove it up your ass!"

Detective Johnson kneeled next to him. "You okay Phil?" he asked. Before the hyena could answer, the lion snapped, "Where's your key for these damn pawcuffs? Get these off now!"

"But he's a hyena," the zebra protested.

"He's a cop!" Johnson growled, snatching the key from the zebra's paw and freeing the hyena's paws.

Velt had arrived and sighed, "Well this is a cluster again! Can't the ZPD do anything right?"

"This isn't the tiger," and elderly female hyena's authoritarian voice cut him off. The hyena in a faded tan uniform shirt crossed the police tape and when an officer tried to stop her she looked at him with disdain. "Get me this Fangmeyer on the radio Master Sargent," Margett commanded. "This operation is screwed."

Velt's ears drooped and his tail tucked under his legs as he looked over and saw her. Feeling like a rookie again, he pulled his radio out and called the tiger.

Xxx

It took well over three hours before he was released from the hospital and he could return to the station. Phil was sore and felt a little sick from being tasered by the zebra, the doctor was concerned because the charge was set too high for a mammal his size and insisted a series of test be performed before he was released. Cradling a spinach and squid smoothie, he glumly listened as retired Captain Margett Desod put Sargent Richard Fangmeyer into his place. He had to admit, the old hyena had a presence that made even Adrian Bogo cower.

"I don't want civilians involved in this investigation," Bogo bellowed.

"There are no civilians involved in YOUR investigation!" Desod snapped back. "I've been after Birendra since he fled the Great Savannah. I was one step behind him the whole time and would have taken him down or put him in his grave by now if it hadn't been for interference by damn politicians.

"He put a hit on one of my officers and killed two civilians to get at him!" the cape buffalo snapped at her.

"You idiot!" the hyena snapped back. "He doesn't give a rat's ass about Phil! Those were not his soldiers and that wasn't his style. If they were after him, a single sniper round in the head would have sufficed. Those weren't even hyenas they were antelopes."

"Someone else wants Barsto dead?" Fangmeyer asked. "Why?"

"I don't know?" the elderly hyena sighed. "This whole mess doesn't make sense. Phil, where were you stationed before being reassigned?"

The younger hyena quickly stood at attention and replied, "Happy Town , Alpha! The nightshift in Happy Town." Bogo's eyebrow rose in surprise at Phil's reaction. _Strange mammals these hyenas_ , he thought. _The females really do run things, not the males._

"At ease officer and sit back down my dear before you fall over," Margett replied. She gave the younger hyena a look of affectionate concern. "Is there something going on in Happy Town we need to know about?"

"Nothing I know about, the town can get a little rowdy on the weekends, but nothing close to what I've heard it was a few years ago. Since the coyotes started moving in, things have quieted down a lot." Phil replied.

"That cop who shot Officer Belto, the zebra officer, just what is IA saying about their investigation?" Velt asked Bogo.

"I don't comment on pending personnel investigations," the cape buffalo answered.

"Even when an officer is out of his assigned patrol route?" Velt sighed. "He shot Barsto with a Mark 3 rifle set on level 8, not level 5, as required. Hell, that's the maximum setting for the rifle without an override key. It would have killed me or even a wolf at that level. By the book, he should be dead!"

"The zebra was surprised Phil was still alive," Margett added. "He was looking for a reason to shoot again. I have witnesses who will testify to this." Phil gave her a surprised look and she smiled, "Not every Hyena hanging around that store was a bum, we do keep an eye on our territory."

Walking over to where he was sitting, she picked up his drink and sniffed it. "Smells good!" she said as she handed it back to Phil, her paw affectionately ruffed his fur between his ears. Then turning back towards the buffalo and the tiger, she snarled, "So Chief Bogo, why is a cop trying to kill your city's…our city's..only hyena cop? Maybe you should be talking to that officer and not letting IA do it instead?"

"Clawhauser, find out who in IA is assigned to interview the officer who shot Barsto." Bogo snapped over the radio.

"Ah…Chief, there is no IA investigation on the tasering. I can't find any records online verifying if anything has been opened yet?" the pudgy cheetah radioed back.

"Shit!" Bogo bellowed. "Find Captain Lawrence with IA and have him call me now!"

"This just doesn't make any sense?" Fangmeyer sighed. "Okay Barsto, let's go over this from the start."

Xxx

Phil was both physically and mentally wiped out by the time he was allowed to leave the station, Ben had driven Margett in his old sedan to the station earlier and he returned to pick up the two hyenas when they called. The old clunker belched blue smoke as he pulled out onto the street, "I'm going to get another damn ticket before we get out of here," he grumbled.

"Pay attention to the road," Margett sighed. "Are you doing okay back there Phil?" She asked. When the younger male hyena didn't answer, she looked into the backseat."

"He's already asleep," Ben chuckled. "Our sons used to zonk out like that when we drove anywhere."

"You gave me good children dear," Margett said as she kissed the hyena on his cheek.

"Speaking of your children, When are you going to tell him where the tiger is hiding?" the elderly male hyena asked. "You can't protect her forever."

Phil was not fully asleep and he forced himself to stay still and listen.

"She's not your daughter!" Margett snapped.

"Whose fault was that?" Ben growled back. "You knew I loved you and yet you took him to your bed and bred with him. I had to lie in the hall in front of your door and listen as he screwed you!"

"Shhh! Not so loud, don't awaken Phil. "I wanted you to learn your place, you were too demanding."

"I was no more demanding than any Shield Holder," he replied. "I had..have… the right to worry about you. Was he a good lay?"

"He wasn't bad," she chuckled.

"Would you have slept with him again?" he asked. "If he hadn't left."

"I just wanted to teach you a lesson," she sighed. "I guess getting knocked up wasn't the best way to do it?"

"Yeah and going into the bush on a mission when you were about to give birth wasn't to bright either," Ben grumbled. "No hyenas but me around! You and your daughters should have died during child birth."

"You did have to deliver my daughters that night," she sighed.

"Why is she running with the tiger?" he asked. "Does she hate you that much?" When the elderly hyena didn't answer, he sighed and added. "Honor killings."

"What?" Margett asked.

"Remember back in the old country when those two zebra herds began killing each other?" Ben replied. "They tried to kill all the children of one zebra that had killed another, they called it Honor Killing. What if Belto's father or mother somehow made him a target of an Honor Killing?"

"I should have remembered that!" Margett growled. "That means that not only is Phil in danger, but also his children."

"I've already taken that in consideration," Ben said. "I've got a dozen Warriors and Shield Bearers watching their place. At least Patty does listen to her father and agreed to send the warriors."

"Our youngest always was a bit of a daddy's girl," Margett chuckled.

"Don't ever let her hear you say that!" the older male hyena replied with a grin on his muzzle. "She'd skin me alive."

"I don't think Susan is going to be too upset when I tell her I want Phil at her place," Margett added. "I don't want him alone tonight, he took a hell of a jolt."

* * *

The bontebok sighed and then cursed as the zebra sat down in the worn chair. "How the hell did he survive?" Peter Insjumper asked as he scratched his ear with his hoof.

"That shot should have dropped him cold stone dead," Officer Patrick Herdsteed replied. "I don't know, maybe hyenas are tougher then wolves. I didn't have a key to set it any higher."

"We were given ten targets, Barsto and Velt are the only ones alive still," Insjumber grumbled. "I still think we should add his cousin to the list, they've got the same grandfather."

"You don't touch Diamonds!" the zebra snapped at him. "Her father was a good mammal and spoke out against what was happening. Hell, I don't think Velt should be on the list, he has pushed for change in the police and his brother was hung for speaking out. I'd rather go after the tiger. There's word that he's here in the city."

"Barsto has also bred," the bontebok added. "We'll need to kill those two little bitches too! The children must pay for the sins of their fathers."

"Their grandfather," Herdsteed said. "But I'm not helping you kill his daughters."


	14. A Fox, Rabbit & Raccoon Walk into a bar

**Chapter 14: A Fox, A Rabbit & A Raccoon Walk into a Bar!**

* * *

 **Okay, this is just for fun…in the old movies there was often an intermission. Since Zootopia is a movie, I figured this would be a good time for a little break in our story. Besides, I wanted to make some COP JOKES!**

* * *

The Green Dragon Pub is just around the corner from the _Precinct_ 1 police station and is a popular bar with the cops after work. Once or twice a month, officers would gather in the back of the bar as a group and socialize. Tonight was one of those nights. The raccoon looked at the other mammals at the table, most were in uniform and he was the only one who was a civilian. Worse, they all knew him from what he previously had been, a burglar.

The tallest mammal at the table was a tiger named Detective Richard Fangmeyer and next to him was his sometimes partner, a timber wolf with the K9 Unit named Alan Wolford. Both of these officers had the pleasure of arresting him for a botched heist a few years ago. To his left was an obese, but friendly cheetah named Benjamin Clawhauser and next to him a young zebra named Cal Hoofson. Sharing the raccoon's chair was a middle aged female bobcat named Catrina Catalina and although they harmlessly flirted with each other a lot, she was almost motherly to him. But to his left was his current antagonist and all-time best friend Nick Wilde and between the fox and the raccoon, as if trying to keep them apart, sat a rabbit and the fox's wife, Judy Hoops-Wilde.

"Okay, you two," Fangmeyer said. "The winner will be the one who can tell the best cop joke,"

"Cop jokes?" Jake scoffed. "You mean like…a fox being in uniform!"

"Hey, I resemble that joke," Nick said with a grin on his muzzle. "Carrots, is there a law about telling bad jokes? I'd like to taser this coon!" The rabbit looked at her husband and sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"So what does the winner get?" the raccoon inquired, as he leaned forward onto the table and picked up his mug.

"The honor of knowing who is the funniest," Judy replied. "And if Nick wins, he can take me home."

"Not much incentive to win with that bet," the raccoon chuckled. "What do I get if I win?"

"Me!" Catrina laughed as she crushed the raccoon closer to her side.

"Gee Cat, your old enough to be my moth...ahh...an older sister." Jake replied. "And you're happily married to a union boss with very sharp claws."

"I know, but a girl still can have her dreams," the bobcat mockingly sighed.

"Dreaming about that coon sounds more like a nightmare to me," Wolford laughed. "You forget that I've seen this guy butt tail naked with Rudy's digit shoved up his ass! After watching him get strip searched, I had nightmares for days!"

"Oh come on!" Jake laughed. "You couldn't get your eyes off my tail. I told you two that I didn't have any picks on…or…I guess considering where Rudy was probing, in me. I've got magic paws!"

The wolf rolled his eyes and growled, sending everyone into laughter.

Jake leaned over and looked at the fox, he grinned as started the first joke, "A man went to the Police Station wishing to speak with the burglar who had broken into his house the night before. _'You'll get your chance in court.'_ said the Desk Sergeant _. 'No, no, no!'_ said the man. _'You just don't understand! I want to know how he got into the house without waking my wife. I've been trying to do that for years!'"_

"Not bad for an amateur," Nick laughed, "but this is how it's done! "A police officer stops a lady and asks for her license. He says ' _Lady, it says here that you should be wearing glasses.'_ The woman answered _'Well, I have contacts.'_ The officer replied _'I don't care who you know! You're still getting a ticket!'"_

There were groans from the other cops at the table as the raccoon set down his beer mug and wiped his muzzle. "Let's stick with the wife jokes," he replied, "So a police officer attempts to stop a car for speeding and the guy gradually increases his speed until he's topping 100 mph. He eventually realizes he can't escape and finally pulls over. The cop approaches the car and says _, 'It's been a long day and my shift is almost over, so if you can give me a good excuse for your behavior then I'll let you go.'_ The guy thinks for a few seconds and then says, _'My wife ran away with a cop about a week ago. I thought you might be that officer trying to give her back!'"_

"That actually was funny," the young zebra said.

"Junior, you'll know better when you grow up," Wolford chucked. The zebra gave him a pouting look, before Fangmeyer reached over and ruffled the officer's mane between his ears. "Rookies!" the wolf added.

Ohhh! I've got one! I've got one! Clawhauser almost squealed. He was practically jumping up and down in his seat in excitement. The fox looked at the raccoon and wiggled his eyebrows before saying, "Be my guest Benji, your joke can't be any worse than the coons."

The Cheetah giggled and said, "A policeman pulls a man over for speeding and asks him to get out of the car. After looking the man over he says, _'Sir, I couldn't help but notice your eyes are bloodshot. Have you been drinking?'_ The man gets really indignant and says, ' _Officer, I couldn't help but notice your eyes are glazed. Have you been eating doughnuts_?'"

More groans greeted the cheetah's joke. "I thought it was funny," the zebra huffed and took a gulp of beer.

Nick leaned forward and grinned. "Sorry Benji, let a master show you how it's done! "On a rural road a state trooper pulled this farmer over and says, _'Sir, do you realize your wife fell out of the car several miles back?_ " The farmer replies, ' _Thank the Lamb, I thought I had gone deaf!_ '"

The joke earned him a punch from Judy who added, "Okay you two, enough wife jokes!"

"You're getting better fox," the raccoon sighed. "But you'll never bet this joke. A policeman sees a car weaving all over the road and hits his flashing lights. He walks up to the driver's window and sees a good looking female behind the wheel. There is strong smell liquor on her breath. He says, _'I'm going to give you a breathalyzer test to determine if you are under the influence of alcohol.'_ She blows up the balloon and he walks it back to his patrol unit. After a couple of minutes, he returns to her car and says, _'It looks like you've had a couple of stiff ones.'_ She replies, _'You mean it shows that, too?'"_

"Okay, that was a winner," Nick laughed as he refilled his beer mug.

"Can I try a joke?" the zebra asked. Before anyone could answer, he told his joke. "Five year old Little Johnny was lost, so he went up to a police officer and said _, 'I've lost my dad!'_ The officer said, _'What's he like?'_ Little Johnny replied, _'Beer and women!'"_

"That was the best joke of the night!" Wolford laughed as he slammed his paw on the table. "I guess you win Junior, so who do you want Judy or Cat?"

The females were sputtering in the drinks. "That wasn't a real bet Wolford," Catrina giggled.

"That's okay, I like my dates with…ah two tails," the zebra stammered, his ears were blushing. "You know, one in the back and another up front."

"Whatever floats your boat dude!" Wolford chuckled. "So what does he win?"

The zebra grinned, before answering, "Well the tiger's too tall, the fox and wolf have that knotting thing they do and sorry Ben, but you're just not my type. So, I guess that only leaves the raccoon!"

Jake spewed out his beer and choked. Finally composing himself, he answered, "Come on Cal, I like my dates with only one tail."

The zebra held his hoofs to his chest and mockingly sighed, "Too bad cutie! We could have made sweet music together."

Everyone at the table laughed at the raccoon's look.

* * *

 **See what you can find on the internet…thanks Wattpad for the jokes.**


	15. Bad News For A Fox

**Chapter 15: Bad News For A Fox**

* * *

"You're giving me a headache coon!" Nick snapped at the raccoon who was hanging upside down from a tree branch in the park. "I'm sure there's a law against climbing trees in a city park."

"Spoilsport!" Jake chuckled as the he did a flip through the air before landing on his feet, then falling onto his rear end. Standing, he gingerly rubbed his tail. "Ow, so much for my Olympic debut" he grumbled. Then swiping his friend's coffee, he took a sip and exclaimed, "Yuck! Is that blueberry flavoring in this?"

Grabbing the drink back, the uniformed fox wiped the cup's rim and took another sip before answering, "You know I'm partial to blueberries."

"And Carrots," the raccoon snickered. "So anyways, I was perfectly fine last night when you called. I just had too much to drink and some bad tea."

"I'm sure you don't need to tell me what was in the tea and since I'm in my police uniform, I really don't want to know." Nick sighed. "It's a good thing your company's drug test isn't soon."

"Can I even fire myself for failing?" Jake mused. "As I was saying, I was perfectly fine. That is until this morning when I stopped by to see Mr. B. "

"Well I'm not staring at a coonsicle," Nick replied. "So I take it your not cutting into his business?"

"He said he was concerned that I was getting a little too active with the ladies," the raccoon said. "You think I've gotten, how did he put it? Oh yeah, he said concupiscence?"

"Gee, I don't know!" the fox scoffed while giving his friend one of his signature smirks. "You're with the cape Jackal this weekend, then a wildcat, then a sand cat, back to the jackal again, and the weeks not over. Let's see you're horny, lewd, _and lecherous, yeah so I guess concupiscence covers all that and more."_

"It's not my fault I like the ladies," the raccoon grumbled. "But maybe he's right and I need to slow down."

"Are you and Melinda getting serious?" Nick asked as he halted and looked at the raccoon. "That's a real question, Jake. You two have a lot in common. I mean you're interested in similar things, both are borderline rogues, and obviously like sex."

The raccoon stopped rubbing his tail and looked over at his best friend, "Borderline rogues? This coming from a red fox, your species perfected the rogue image. Don't try to look offended bubba, there was Robin Hood, Reynard, and Kitsune just to name a few."

"You're avoiding my question," Nick sighed.

"No, we are not getting serious," the raccoon huffed. "We're just friends." Then he hesitated, "At least that's all I think we are?"

"Careful Jake," Nick chuckled. "That's all Carrots and I thought we were at first."

"Maybe she and I need to talk about where we're going with our relationship?" the raccoon said. "I think somewhere in public, where we have to be dressed."

"What about you and the wildcat?" Nick asked. "You two are awfully chummy."

"Meredith!" Jake laughed. "She's like a sister, except for the paid sex, that's all." Then he stopped and looked at the fox. "So want to tell me why you called me in a panic late last night?"

Nick looked down at the ground and sighed. "Look buddy, I had a bad day yesterday. Actually it was a terrible day."

Jake looked at the fox with concern. Nick had just tossed away his coffee and the cup was still half full. "I'm sorry, do you want to talk about it?" the raccoon offered. He watched the fox sit down on a park bench and rub his paws over his eyes.

"I just saw an old girlfriend of mine get killed," the fox replied, his paws were clenched in anger. "There wasn't a damn thing I could have done to save her."

Jake sat down next to him and put a paw on his shoulder. "I've known you long enough and you would have tried, if she could have been saved."

"Damn Alligators!" Nick growled.

"What?" the raccoon stammered, his ears were flat as he looked at his friend.

"She was tossed into a pit of alligators," the fox added, there were tears in his eyes and anger in his voice. "They tore her to shreds before I could get to her." Suddenly Nick hugged Jake and added, "I had a nightmare that they got you too!"

"Sorry pal," Jake said as he hugged his best friend. "I didn't know." Somewhat embarrassed, they broke their hug and sat back. "Nick did you lose you taser baton?"

"No, I left it in the belly of a dead gator." The fox replied as he looked out into the park. "It fried his ass good too." Hearing the sound of Velcro, he looked back at his friend, who had removed his baton from its leg harness and was handing it to the fox. "No Jake, I can't take yours."

"The hell you can't!" the raccoon snapped. "You're my best friend and I want you safe. Lion help you, if you don't take this!"

Nick looked at his friend and sighed again as he took the baton and slipped it into the empty holder on his belt.

"Have I ever told you that you're a good friend?" the fox asked.

"Not enough!" the raccoon replied. "Love you too bro…in a macho male way…totally plutonic…"

"Shut up coon!" Nick chuckled. "If you use the word bromance, I'll tase you. I do have a brand new nifty telescoping taser baton."

* * *

Returning to the station, Nick pulled his chair up to his desk. He glanced over at Judy's desk, she was still out on assignment with Francine. Like their marriage, their desks were like night and day. Her was left tidy, with all her supplies laid out neatly on the desk. His was a stark contrast, disheveled with old coffee cups and crumpled papers. He had just signed on to the station's network, when Wolford slipped into the cubical. "You okay?" the wolf asked.

"Still tired, I didn't sleep well last night." the fox answered with a yawn.

The wolf was about to respond, but was cut off when Fangmeyer entered the room. "Wolford, Wilde, meet me in Bogo's office now." The tiger spun and quickly made his way towards the Chief of Detective Office, the two canids were just behind him.

"Wilde do you feel fit for duty?" Bogo asked as Nick entered the office, his voice was filled with concern. "If you need some time off, I need to know now!"

"I'll be fine," the fox replied. "Who's handling Moxey's case?"

"I put Dave Skully at the Fifth on the case," Bogo replied. "He's experienced with these matters and a good detective."

Nick nodded, he knew Skully grew up in the swamps and the badger had a good track record with solving cases. He is also respected by the locals. He knew if Skully was working the case, he'd partner with Harry Pondton, an otter who is a Ranger with Fish & Wildlife.

"Things are getting complicated," the cape buffalo grumbled. "Someone took shots at Barsto and the assailants don't seem to be associated with Birendra, or so Captain Desod claims. I'm pulling Hopps-Wilde from the field, I want her to compile and review the deaths of all refugees and immigrants from the Western Cape Republic." Looking up at Nick, he saw the fox's look of disappointment. "What's wrong Wilde?"

"Just thinking, Judy loves to read those files as almost as much as her damn spy novels," Nick chuckled. "There goes my sex life!"

Bogo snorted while the tiger and wolf laughed.

"I hate this waiting," Bogo sighed. "The longer we wait the more chances Birendra can slip away. I'm giving Barsto and Desod just another day to find him and then I'm going to see the mayor about authorizing a sweep through Hyena Heights."

"You won't need to," Velt said as he entered into the room. "Captain Desod knows what she's doing."

"You've got more confidence in her then I do," Fangmeyer responded. "Frankly I think she's hold back for some reason. Wilde have you heard anything more about those diamonds?"

"I really haven't been in a position to poke around," the fox replied.

"I know, but do you have any possible contacts you can check with?" Bogo asked. "If he sells those diamonds, he'll make a run for it."

I know a few guys at the merchandise mart downtown," Nick offered. "I can check with them."

"You and Wolford follow up any leads," the buffalo sighed. "Go!"

After leaving the room, the fox turned to the wolf and asked, "Is it just me, or does the Chief seem overly concerned about this tiger? It's like it's personal to him."

"Guys a war criminal," Wolford shrugged. "I'm sure he wants him brought to justice, that's all."

"I don't know, it just seems off to me," Nick replied.

They went down to the locker room and changed into their street cloths. Nick pulled on a oversized black t-shirt and khakis with a matching cotton jacket. Wolford slipped on jeans and a blue and white checkered dress shirt. He wore a blue blazer to hide his pistol.

"I think we can grab a bus to the mart, I'd hate to think what the supervisor of the car pool will give us to drive this time," Nick sighed.

When the arrived at the Merchants Union Building, instead of flashing his badge Nick showed his pawcicle business license to get into those areas restricted to the general public. "This is the wholesale part, businesses selling to businesses," he told the wolf." They began working their way from one shop to another, but no one knew anything beyond they were told not to touch them.

"Well that shoots down the legit establishments," Wolford said with a shrug. "Who's left?"

"We find the Gray Ghost" the fox shrugged.

"Who?" the wolf added.

"An old smuggler from the Sahara Coast", Nick laughed. "He used to buy and sell diamonds and precious stones for the wholesalers. Retired a few years ago, but still has his paws in the market. Velt's cousin has had a run in with him a few times."

Eddie "The Grey Ghost" Woods wasn't hard to find, he lived in a high priced retirement community for the wealthy and was surrounded by security. When Nick and Alan Wolford arrived, security contacted the retired smuggler in his private library. A shapely young vixen led them to the room, "I remember you fox," she said to Nick. "I heard you gave up hustling and became a cop. You're also humping that cop rabbit too!"

Nick frowned at her and softly growled, "She's my wife."

Turning back to him, she put her paws on her hips and slightly twisted herself to show her figure better to him, "I know, because you stink of her scent. I'd offer to convert you back, but I also know you're the kind of tod who mates for life."

"Just what the hell do you do here?" Nick snapped.

"I'm his personal secretary," she giggled. "Among other things!"

An elderly grey fox was sitting behind a cherry wood desk, "Ah! It's good to see you Nick, despite the fact you've gone straight. This must be Alan Wolford with the K 9 Unit, you and your buddies used to be a pain in my tail with those damn noses." The fox walked over and shook their paws. "I hope Nicole didn't scare you with her talk? She is just looking for attention, I'm afraid I've been neglecting her lately."

"I'm sure she's a charmer when she goes in heat," Nick chuckled. The vixen smiled and winked.

"Baby, could you please bring us some coffee?" Eddie asked. Walking past the officers, the vixen giggled as she ran her tail across Nick's.

"So you're here about those damned diamonds?" the grey fox asked, after the vixen had left the room. "My former boss should have iced them and that asshole tiger!"

"Do you know if he's still got them?" Wolford asked. "I mean, is he on the run again."

"Oh, he sold them," the elderly fox laughed. "For a fraction of what he wanted. As for running, the hyenas already have him boxed in and he really has nowhere to run."

"Who's got the diamonds?" Nick asked.

"Doesn't matter who has them today?" Eddie replied with a sinister grin on his muzzle. "I think they're going to show up very soon. But Nick, don't be disappointed when you find out who will have them."

Wolford cocked his head in confusion as the red fox growled in anger and stormed out of the room.


	16. Sunset

**Chapter 16: Sunset**

* * *

"You lied to me!" Phil Beltso snapped at his alpha, Margett Desod. His voice lacked the respect he knew he should be showing and there was a low growl in his voice. "You know where Bererenra is hiding and you didn't tell me."

The larger and much older female growled back, "Watch your place…"

"No!" the officer replied. "I'm a representative of the ZPD and you lied to me and my superiors. Why did you do that and just who are you protecting?"

"Boy's got a pair of balls!" Old Ben sighed as he stepped between the other two hyenas. "But he's right, you owe him the truth."

Almost instinctively, the female backhanded the older male sending him reeling. Margett looked at Ben and then her paw with a look of shock. "Oh Ben…"

"Are you going to tell me to keep my place," Ben snarled before she could continue. Slowly, he knelt down before her. "Are you going to remind me that I'm just a male? Do I need to pack what little I own and leave? Look I'm on my knees, is this really what you want from me?"

Phil stepped back in confusion, he knew he had gone too far and what he did was wrong. He didn't say anything more, but watched the two other hyenas. Surprisingly, it was now Margett who knelt in front of Ben and tried to reach out to him. "I so sorry," she said as she hugged the older male.

"You females and your anger issues," Ben chuckled. "Please don't arrest her for battery, Officer Beltso." Tilting forward, he placed his muzzle under hers before leaning back and looking in her eyes. "You owe him the truth."

Captain Margett Desod sat back and sighed, she looked much older then she had just a few moments before. Staring up at the Police officer, she watched the younger male's uncertainty. He almost had a panicked look and was unsure what to do next. She could tell that he was torn between what he had learned as a cop and what he had been taught as a cub. Finally, he straightened up and stood proudly in his uniform. _Our old ways are dying out here in the city,_ she thought. _Maybe Ben's right and we need to change? He's proud of what he's become, the police department has become his clan and he stands amongst them as an equal._ Slowly, she forced herself to stand and after crossing her paws, she looked at the police officer.

Ben groaned as he stiffly stood up, he stepped away from the two other hyenas as they stared at each other. _Impressive,_ he mused. _I've never seen a male hyena ever face her down before, hell I wouldn't do that. Kits got balls, I just hope she doesn't shove them up is own ass._

"It's time for the truth!" Phil said in an authoritarian tone. "You can tell me what's happening here or you can tell Bogo downtown. Talk!"

"Don't you dare take that tone with me!" Margett snapped. Then she stopped and looked at Ben. "Okay, you're both right." Stepping away from the police officer she sighed again, "The hyenas he is with are being led by my daughter Simone. I need to talk to her before she is arrested. She never was involved with the tiger's crimes, but I need to find out why she is keeping him safe. I promise I will turn everyone over to you when we are done."

"No!" Phil snapped. "This is a police matter first, so you can talk after she is arrested. If you don't tell me where he is, Bogo will launch a dragnet through Hyena Heights. Do you want cops searching everyone's homes?"

"There would be violence," Ben added.

"He's…they, are in the old dump," Margett answered with her head hanging in defeat. "They are surrounded."

Phil stepped back as he unbuckled his gun belt and then stripped off is uniform shirt. Finally stepping forward, he dropped to his knees and lowered his head in submission as a male should to a female. "Forgive me Alpha, I must do what must be done."

She ruffled the fur between his ears and with a sad voice replied, "A warrior always must."

* * *

Kope Hill Manson was a place where Jake had been before and he had closely studied both the house and its security systems. Its current owner was a sleazy businessmammal who had bilked millions from others by investing their money in shady schemes, while skimming off the investments for his own profit. Many years ago, the raccoon had defeated the cheap security system that Sal Kopstien was using and burgled some cash, along with a few knickknacks to pawn. However, the sleazebag had sold his wife's jewelry and then reported them as stolen for the insurance payment. Melinda Velt had figured this out and brought the guy down for his fraudulent claim. Now it seems that he was the current proud owner of the tiger's blood diamonds.

Lying on the motel table were schematics of the house, drawings, and photocopies from a very old book. A laptop showed an aerial of the nearby river and there were also recent photographs of the riverside. On the floor lay a black bag with tools and another with an old choice of clothing.

"So you think you can get in there tonight?" the jackal asked as her paw ran down the raccoon's back and along his tail. "I don't want you to get caught or hurt."

Jake sighed to himself, _serious talk we had. I just wanted to find our how she feels about me and we end up in the sack. How do I tell anyone that we're just friends when all we do is hump each other every time we meet?"_

"Hey Jake," she shook him. "I'm talking to you!"

Rolling over, he looked into her eyes, "I'm not worried about that cheap ass swindler and his two bit security system…it's you and me that I'm concerned about." He slapped her paw because it had wandered below his waist. "Look, what I mean is…well, just where are we going with this relationship?"

Melinda sat up and pulled a sheet to her chest, "I'm sorry Jake, I like you a lot, but I don't love you! Your fun to be with and the sex is great, but I want to have puppies one day. I want to be a mother and have a family. Sorry!"

She attempted to get out of the bed, but he grabbed her paw. "So you just keep me around for the sex?" he laughed. She gave him a puzzled look. "I like you too and I won't whine about what we currently have. It's just I was worried that you had fallen in love with me, because I feel the same way you do. I was worried that I was going to hurt you."

He drew her to him and kissed her again before he gently pushed her onto her back, his paw found a packet of condoms as he rolled on top of her. "Like you said," he whispered in her ear with a husky voice. "The sex is great."

She giggled before his mouth found hers again and then she moaned.

* * *

Nick was pissed as he charged out of the room. "Wilde what the hell is going on?" Wolford yelled as he chased after the fox. "Just what is your problem?"

The fox didn't answer but was yelling into his phone, "Pick up the damn phone! Damn it coon, you're not going to do this!"

The wolf caught up to the fox and put a paw on his shoulder. "Nick…"

The fox slapped his paw away and snarled, "This is personal Alan!"

The wolf watched the fox walk away, still yelling on his phone.

He had called the Regency Hotel and was informed that they do not divulge the whereabouts of their guests. "Damn it," Nick cursed and hailed a taxi.

Alan Wolford watched in confusion as his temporary partner left him behind in the taxi. Then shoving his paws in his pockets, he slowly walked towards the bus stop.

"Can't you go any faster?" Nick snapped at the driver.

"Look buddy, I can only go as fast as the traffic around me," the stag grumbled. "I'm doing the best I can."

Nick sighed and called the station, "Ben, I need you to pull up what you've got on Melinda Velt. I need her cell phone number and address."

"Nick are you okay?" the cheetah asked.

"No!" Just do it and call me back!" he yelled. Dialing another number, he cursed as he got the after hours answering machine for Runnel Security. Calling the emergency alarm number, he got a technician, "Where the hell is Jake," he snapped. "This is Officer Wilde with the ZPD, I need to get in touch with Jake Runnel." A supervisor answered, "I can send him a message but he's not in the office. We're not showing any alarms, is everything alright?" Nick hung up before he answered, because the taxi had arrived at the hotel.

After slapping the fare into the cabbie's hoof, he ran into the hotel and across the lobby. He heard a female black bear behind the reception desk call his name as the elevator door shut. Exiting on the fifth floor, he pounded on his friend's suite doorway and when there was no answer, he pulled out the key card he had been given and entered the suite.

Clawhauser called back with Melinda's phone number, but she didn't answer.

Sitting on his best friend's sofa, he sighed with frustration and ran a paw across his neck. Then his phone rang, it was Wolford.

* * *

She took his other paw in hers as he handed her a glass of wine. Holding his paw, she stood by his side and watched as the sun went down in the western sky. "The sunset tonight is spectacular, dear. Maybe our sunset will last long enough to enjoy our lives together for a bit more before the long night comes?" the elderly hyena sighed.

Down the road, a much younger male hyena stood in the kitchen and watched the female he loved with his daughters. Reaching for his radio, he hesitated as he watched the sunset. Then with a sigh, he made his call. "Sir, we know where he is…"

The raccoon leaned against the motel room wall and looked out the window, watching the sunset. Then he opened his bag and laid out his tools. Sitting on the bed, the jackal watched him with interest. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked him.

The fox poured himself a drink from his friend's bar before stepping out onto the balcony to watch the sunset. His phone rang again, it was his wife. "Sorry, Carrots it's just that our damn coon is doing something stupid…" Before he could continue his conversation, his radio crackled with Fangmeyer's urgent voice.

Staring out the window, the zebra snapped at the antelope sitting in the chair behind him, "I don't like this at all, he's a fellow cop! Maybe we're taking this too far?" The other mammal ignored his protests and reassembled his military grade air rifle and loaded it with poison tipped flechette rounds.


	17. I Was Robbed By Him?

**Chapter 17 "I Was Robbed By Him?"**

* * *

The rental car was nondescript and he had disabled the car's GPS so it had no record of where it had been. They had waited until night had come before the jackal slowed down enough for the raccoon to slip out of the vehicle and under a bridge.

"This should be a piece of cake," he had assured her. "But if things go bad, don't call Nick. I want you to call Kevin. Sal's not going to call the cops, but I 'm not sure he won't try to kill me and a visit from one of Mr. B's guys might get him to change his mind."

"I don't like this…" she started to say before he cut her off with a kiss. Then he disappeared into the night.

His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as he changed his cloths under the bridge. _It sure would be embarrassing if I got caught dressed like this!_ He chuckled to himself. _This is the wrong time of year to plead that I'm just going to a costume party._ Pulling his cap over the top of his head, he slipped his tools into a red cloth pouch tied to his grey pants. There was a black cloth, but he tucked this into his belt as he began to make his way down the creek, taking time to stick to the rocks as not to leave prints.

It took him thirty minutes to carefully make his way towards his mark, he took time to memorize his trail and also identify any potential escape routes. Perched above the river were several other mansions, most with stairs leading down the stony hillside to boathouses full of expensive toys for the rich. High-speed motor boats, ski boats, luxurious pontoon boats were locked up in their confines. One mansion and it's boathouse in particular was protected by his company and he had to slowly traverse those grounds. Stopping about halfway through that mansion's yard, he took mental notes on what improvements he felt need to be added. _It would suck to get caught by my own security system because Ratzolli would have a field day._

Finally he reached the overgrown woods at the bottom of Kope Hill and he swiftly climb up into a tree from where he took his time to search the area again. A rotting dock was all that remained of the mansion's boathouse and the once nice landscape was now just weeds. Settling onto a branch, he reached into his belt and pulled out a compact monocular and peered through it, watching the mansion above. _This is just too easy, this dude got all that money and he's too cheap to get a decent alarm company. ZDT is marginal for residential alarms at best, but for this place he really needs to upgrade._ He focused on a fat ram that had walked out onto the mansion's crumbling veranda. Sal had a drink in one hoof and a cigar in the other. _That's right sleezebag , life is so good for you now. Just how many hard working mammals did you legally rob?_

The ram began talking on his cell phone as he angrily waved his cigar in the air. Even as far away as the raccoon was, he could hear the ram's curses and blustering shouts. Finally, the conversation stopped and Kopstien returned to leisurely drinking and smoking. _I would have loved to have seen his face when Melinda and her boss confronted him with proof of his fraudulent claim. Yeah, I was the guy who broke in and took the cash and those almost worthless art pieces. If I had known what a dick you were, I would have taken more._

A young looking panther came out of the house and meekly walked over to the ram. She stopped and timidly stood as her looked her over. Walking over to her, the fat ram cupped her tail. _She looks like jailbait to me asshole,_ the raccoon thought. _I wonder where his trophy wife is tonight?_ The raccoon let out a low growl when the ram, grabbed the cat's head and forced her into a kiss. _That young one is not a pro, that's for sure. Maybe Jerry or his boss Boris might know her? If she's pimping, she needs someone new to watch over her._ Watching the ram hungrily run his hoofs over the scared cat's body, the raccoon was torn over what to do. But then the panther willing took the ram's hoof full of cash and followed him into the mansion. With a aggravated sigh, Jake just shook his head as he watched her go.

His ears flicked when he heard a boat motor on the river and he flattened himself back into the foliage. A pontoon boat blaring music and the sounds of laughter came down the river. Jake silently chuckled as he recognized the occupants were his client's eighteen year old daughter and her boyfriend. Both had been into daddy's liquor, the buck had one hoof on the boat's wheel and the other down the doe's swimsuit's bottom. With concern, the raccoon watched as the boat seemingly approaching the dock too fast, but drunk or not, the boy knew what he was doing and the boat gently slipped into its berth. _I wonder if he's as smooth with her?_ Shaking his head, he mentally admonished himself. _You're turning into a pervert coon and it's not like you've not been getting your fair share._

He sighed and looked briefly at his watch, he was now behind schedule. Settling back into the tree's shadows he frowned as the teenagers began to make out in the back of the boat. After a little while, the coon tried not to watch, but stared up at the moon as he heard grunts and groans from the boat. _Yep, that answers my question, he is just as smooth. One day my kits are going to ask me, gee pops what did you do for a living? Oh, my dears I was a thief, a businessmammal and a voyeur. That's me, just a pervert in a tree watching two kits humping. I've got to admit he does have great technique!_ The coon's ears blushed and he quickly looked away and left them to their nocturnal activates unobserved.

After they finished their sex, they snuggled together while smoking a catnip joint and doe giggled as she answered her phone. "We just got the boat back and we'll be up in a few minutes." She lied. Pulling on her clothes, she grabbed the buck's hoof, "Come on, daddy's worried about me." He followed her up towards the stairways that led to the mansion above. The raccoon watched them leave and frowned because the alarm system, including the cameras, had been off the whole time when he crossed the yard.

Finally left alone, Jake looked around, sniffed, and listened. He scanned the area again, before climbing down the tree. Unlike most mammals, a raccoon can climb down face first and this was an advantage for Jake as he looked and listened. Creeping on all four paws, he slowly made his way through the bushes to where he knew that a secret door was located. Years ago, he found an old library book about the history of the city's great mansions. One of the stories in this little known book was about Kope Hill having a bootleg tunnel to the river. The owner used to hide rum in the tunnel and use the river to distribute his illegal wares during prohibition. He knew that the tunnel was still there, even though it did not show on the house's current plats or schematics.

Gingerly he made his way to the door and smiled because there were no proximity alarms, cameras, laser beams, or anything. A worn oak door hung at the tunnel's entry and the raccoon was puzzled, because the only lock on the door was a standard door lock like you would buy from a hardware store. He ran his sensitive paws along the frame and flashed a penlight along the door ridges, there were gaps in the door and he was surprised to find only a simple contact alarm. Once the door opened, an alarm message would be sent to Sal's phone. It was a simple system to install and simple to deactivate. It took only a few moments to pick the lock, the dead bolt inside the door could be reached through a gap and his thin hacksaw made quick work of the cheap metal. Disabling the alarm, he slowly cracked the door open and looked down the tunnel.

Still taking his time to slowly make his way down the tunnel, he found a tripwire attached to another alarm and a camera. He stepped over the wire and entered the large cavern just off the tunnel, again he found no alarms. The place was littered with old empty barrels and broken bottles, but in the corner sat an old steel safe. _Off the shelf alarms and an old fashioned safe, damn Sal you're an idiot. If I was still working my old ways I could waltz right into your house from here._ It took him almost no time to work the safe's old dial lock, he smiled as the last tumbler clicked and he opened the door. Inside was a brown paper bag with the diamonds and interestingly enough several small stacks of cash. _Huh, I'd bet the IRS doesn't know you have these? He hesitated before he grabbed up the stacks because he had made a promise to the memory of his old mentor that he would never obtain wealth again by illegitimate means. Then again, he wouldn't be keeping the money and the aged red panda, he called Grandfather, did have a good sense of humor. So if I gave it away does that mean I'm still keeping my promise?_ He pondered.

The cash and the diamonds both went into a canvas bag he found in the room. Then wiping his tracks behind him, He left the cavern. Pausing at the trip wire, he disconnected the alarm and then he tied on the black cloth mask he had in his belt. _It's kind of redundant for a coon to wear a mask? But hey, it's show time!_ Lifting a paw to tip his cap, he set off the trip wire's camera. Quickly he reconnected the alarm, left the tunnel and back tracked his way to the bridge, where he changed clothes as he called Melinda to pick him up. He threw the blue pullover, yellow scarf, grey pants, yellow belt, red pouch, and cap into a bag filled with rocks and sank them in the river.

The coon was miles away, when Sal slipped into the kitchen and through the hidden door. He was humming to himself as he walked down the tunnel into the cavern. His hoofs itched with the anticipation of fondling the diamonds again, his precious stones. Pulling out a sheet of paper with the combination, he slowly opened the safe. His humming turned into anger when he saw the diamonds and the cash were gone. Frantically he ran down the tunnel, setting off the tripwire alarm Jake had reactivated. He threw open the tunnel door and looked around before bellowing into the night.

The ram slammed back into the kitchen, desperately attempting to type into his phone the website that would have the photo. In his agitation, he dropped and broke the phone. His laptop wasn't working because he had a virus from one of the porn sites he had visited. Frantically he ran upstairs to his son's room, the younger ram was on his PC playing an online game. "Damn it son, go to this website now!" He shoved a paper in front of the boy's face. "Now damn it..now!"

The younger ram sighed and typed in the site, he sat up in interest as he pulled up two photos. The second one was of his father's frantic face, but the first photo was of a very familiar looking raccoon. "Print that one, yeah that coon! Sonabitch, I'm gonna find you bastard!" the older ram yelled as he ran down the hallway with the photo. He shoved his latest wife out of the way and the twenty two year old former waitress just shrugged as he stormed by.

Walking into the younger ram's room, she ran a hoof along one of the nineteen year old horns. "What's got your dad all pissed?" she asked.

"You know that tunnel he thinks we don't know about?" he chuckled as he glanced up at his stepmother .

"Yeah," she replied as she fiddled with his horn.

"He just got robbed," he chuckled and pointed at the face on the screen. "By this guy!"

She leaned over close to the ram and her scent was like freshly mown hay. "Why does this guy look so familiar?" she asked with a puzzled voice.

The ram grinned as he pulled up another picture. "Dad was robbed by Sly Cooper," he laughed. "A video game character!"

She giggled as his hoof left the keyboard and stroked her thigh. "He's not going to want you tonight," he huskily said. "He screwed a young hooker earlier."

Her mouth lowered to cover his with a kiss, before she whispered, "You're a hell of a lot better in the sack then he is anyways." Pulling him by his hoofs, she led him to the bed.

* * *

On their way back to his hotel, they stopped at a grocery store and bought a box of plastic baggies and a bottle of chilled Champaign. Reactivating the car's GPS, they returned the rental and took a taxi to the hotel, where Jake disappeared into the park to hide his baggies of cash. He rejoined the jackal and she laughed as he told her about the sorry state of security at Kope Hill. She kissed him in the hallway, as he fumbled for his key card. His paws were already unbuttoning her blouse as they stumbled into his suite.

"Your phone is off Jake!" an icy but familiar voice greeted him from the room.

Jake quickly whirled to face the rabbit, "Judy, what the hell are you doing in my room! Where's Nick?" Melinda was blushing as she buttoned her blouse.

"Your best friend is doing his job," the rabbit replied. Her voice was calm and almost too professional, but her violet eyes reflected her disappointment. "They found the tiger."

Jake's ears drooped and his tail instinctively moved between his legs. "Is he safe?" the raccoon asked.

"As safe as any cop can be while doing his job," Judy sighed. "I just hope he's not distracted by his concern for you. Turn on your phone, he left you a message."

Fumbling for his phone, he turned it on and listened to his messages. The fox was angry on the first couple of calls and then was a call from his office asking him to call an Officer Wilde. The last message was from Nick, "Jake you're my best friend and I love you like a brother. You made me a promise that you had given up being a burglar and I believed you. Today, I was told that you are planning to rob someone… to steal those dammed diamonds." Then there was a pause and a sigh, before the voice continued. "Look buddy, don't give up you soul for the excitement, even if you think your doing right. Tell us where the diamonds are and we'll get a warrant, do it by the books. Don't disappointment me, please!"

The raccoon slumped in his chair. Behind him, the Jackal looked at the raccoon and then the rabbit, who was staring at her in anger. She took the paper bag and sighed as she tossed it onto the table. The bag burst as it landed, spilling the diamonds across the table's surface. "I'm sorry Jake…I'm sorry," she muttered. Opening the door, she hesitated.

"If there is a report filed of a burglary by the owner, I'm coming for you too!" the rabbit stated.

The jackal nodded as she closed the door and left.

The diamonds glistened in the light, shinny harbingers of pain and suffering. The raccoon just stared at them with sorrow.


	18. Death in Hyena Heights

**Chapter 18: Death in Hyena Heights**

* * *

Delgato shook his mane after pulling the body armor over his shoulders. Then looking at the smaller fox, he chuckled, "Here let me help you with that!" he picked up the vest and slammed it down on Nick's shoulders.

"Hey!" the fox snapped at the lion. "I need those shoulders, because they keep my head from falling off!" Wolford barked out a laugh at the fox's comments.

"You canids will laugh at anything," Johnson sighed. Looking at Phil, he grinned and added, "Isn't that right Phil?"

The hyena looked at him and shrugged, "I have no idea! We hyenas aren't canids. We're closer to felines like you, but we have more class."

"He's got you there Johnny-boy!" Delgato laughed at the look the other lion gave the hyena. Then walking up to his friend, he helped him tighten his vest.

"You should wear impact plates, instead of that heavier vest," Wolford told Nick. "You would have more flexibility with less weight."

"I'd look like my wife," Nick replied, referring to the outfit Judy wears on patrol.

"No fox," Wolford snickered. "She can pull the look off, but you'd just look like a red stick with blue boobs."

Velt entered the room and asked, "How are things going?" The Jackal was in his regular uniform of a light blue short-sleeved shirt with the stiff shoulder boards, and the dark blue shorts. "Sargent Fangmeyer said for you to be ready in ten minutes."

"Not dressing out?" Johnson asked. "I mean we can dig you up a vest about your size."

"I'm not trained to work with you guys," the jackal sighed. "I would only be in the way." He looked at the officers and added, "Be safe and good luck."

Nick adjusted his holster and Wolford looked over at him with a worried frown on his muzzle. "You okay Nick?" he asked "Your acting like something is bothering you?"

"Just disappointed in someone," the fox sighed. "He let me down."

"Not to pry, but does this have to do this afternoon?" Wolford lowered his voice to a whisper. "You know the diamonds?"

"I'm not sure," Nick added. "But I'm going to find out."

"Lock and load boys!" Delgado yelled. "It's show time."

Each of the officers followed the lion into the larger warehouse room. They where met by a loud argument between, Fangmeyer, Captain Chuck "Rambo" Ramington with the Rainforest SWAT ream, and a middle-aged female hyena.

"You only brought eight officers and a few high power rifles!" the hyena growled.

"I've got five more officers," Fangmeyer snapped back. "That's more then enough, there are only seven mercenaries guarding him."

"Seven highly trained killers!" she snapped back. "Plus they have three heavy caliber pellet rifles. Barricaded and in the dark, they'll drop you guys like ducks on a pond during hunting season."

"I'm not going to have civilians compromise this operation," Ramington grunted, the ram stared at the hyena.

"Once the police are in position, withdraw your warriors," a voice added. "Only to backup positions, you will coordinate with the captain if things go wrong. I think we have enough hardware to suppress any resistance until his officers can extradite themselves." Everyone watched as Captain Margett Desod entered the building. She was dressed in her police field fatigues and so was Ben, who was following her. He held a decorative shield and a long wicked knife.

"Captain!" Fangmeyer nodded at her. "I'm sure you understand that your warriors need to stay clear."

"Of course," she replied. "Before the shooting starts, who's negotiating?"

"Bentson's our top negotiator," Ramington nodded at a wolf standing by the map.

"Oh dear," the elderly hyena sighed. "You're sending a candid to talk with a hyena?"

"I thought the tiger was in charge?" Fangmeyer asked?

"He may think he is, but he's not," Margett sighed. "My daughter is."

There was commotion in the room as she said this. "Your daughter commands the mercenaries and you're just now sharing this?" Fangmeyer growled.

"Will she listen to you?" Ramington asked. "Can you talk her into surrendering?"

"No!" Fangmeyer fumed. "I don't want this compromised. It isn't safe!"

"Stand down sergeant," the ram sighed. "The minute Bogo called in my unit, which put me in command. If there's a chance to get through this without violence, I'll take it. Someone find her a vest!"

"Two dear, my Shield Bearer will need one too!" the elderly hyena replied with a toothy smile.

* * *

Phil moved into his assigned position along with Delgato and Johnston, slipping in beside a hyena warrior and her shield bearer. "They know you're here," she whispered. "There's a merc just below the old refrigerator, he's in the trash heap. She snatched the tranquilizer rifle from Degato and lined up his shot for him. Moving close to the hyena she whispered, "Like the look, you're looking real sexy." Phil tried not to jump when she ran a paw down his tail.

On the other side of the old dump, Nick settled in behind an old car door. "Bandit at your seven," he whispered. "I've got him covered."

"Another at our nine," Wolford whispered back. The wolf acted like he smelled something foul before he adjusted his aim.

There was a rumbling sound as the armored van rolled down the driveway and towards the shack. "This is the police, put down your weapons and come out with your paws in the air," the speaker atop the vehicle blared.

The announcement was greeted by silence.

Slowly the van stopped and waited.

An elderly hyena climbed out of the back of the truck and she was joined by a smaller, but just as elderly male carrying a decorative shield and a spear. Fearlessly she strolled towards the shack and then stopped. "Birendra, you're surrounded by police and warriors. There's nowhere for you to flee this time, so come out with your paws up."

There was no answer, just silence.

"Sargent," she yelled again. "Are you and your soldiers really going to fire on your own species? There's no way you can win this battle!"

"I wasn't planning a shoot out when we came here," a middle aged female hyena replied as she walked out of the building. "Well mother, it's been a long time."

"Too long, my dear," Margett replied. "So, what's this about? I thought I trained you better then this? You come into our territory, protecting a criminal and not expect to get caught?"

"Well, it is rather poor planning on my end if I was really trying to hide out?" she answered. "It's good seeing that you're still alive Ben."

"Its good to see you're still alive too, little one." Ben replied.

"Little one?" Simone scoffed. "I outgrew that nickname years ago. I'm much taller then you."

"The older I get, the shorter I become," Ben laughed. "Are you really going to try to shoot your way out?"

The younger hyena looked at the ground and shook her head before answering, "You see I'm a mercenary and well, we always finish the job we get paid for." Then looking back at the shack, she added, "The job we get paid to do, but someone stopped paying us. At that time our contract ended and so we have no further obligation to our former employer."

"Betrayer!" a tiger snarled from the slack's doorway. "I told you that you would pay you, once I sold the diamonds!"

Birendra was standing in the doorway and his tail was twitching in anger as he leaned heavy on a cane. His muzzle was snow white and he stopped to breath from a portable oxygen tank that was by his side. Two large male hyenas stood near him with their guns pointed at him.

"You sold those damn diamonds to buy medicine," Simone snarled. "You never planned to pay us!"

"So are you surrendering?" Margett asked.

"Actually, I would like to speak to the police officer in charge of this operation," the younger female replied.

Ramington stepped out of the armored truck, "I believed your mother asked you a question. Are you surrendering?"

"Not really," the hyena answered with a smile. "You see we haven't really committed any crimes and since it is my intentions to turn the tiger over to you, I think you can only charge us with a few misdemeanors at best."

"You're in no position to tell me anything," the ram snapped. "As for charges…"

Cutting him off, the hyena pulled out a set of papers and shoved them into his paws. "I think this will explain everything," she simply stated.

"Bitch!" the tiger yelled. "No one will ever trust you again! Your days as a mercenary are over. Who would hire you after you betrayed me?"

Turning towards the tiger she laughed, "You stopped paying us and we got another offer, this time from the kind of mammals that if you disagree with them, you won't live too much longer."

"Damn you!" the tiger snarled. Then he twisted his cane and pulled a hidden knife from inside of it before he drove the blade into the surprised hyena standing next to him. The mercenary dropped his rifle and it was snatched up by the now huffing tiger, who whirled and fired. "Die bitch!"

The high powered pellets slammed into the hyena, spinning her around and into her mother's arms. Before any of the shocked police could fire, there was a growl and a thrown knife caught the tiger in his throat. He fell gasping to his knees and then forward dead into the dust below.

All eyes turned back towards the male hyena, who stood protectively in front of the two female hyenas. He blinked a few times and then looking down at the two hyenas huddled on the ground, he sighed and said, "I hope that deal was either dead or alive."

"Heh! I think it was, but first let's end this!" Simone laughed and then winced. "Corporal, how is Richie?"

"He's going to have a nice scar, but he'll live! We do need a medic and an ambulance," the hyena called back.

"Corporal you and Sam stay with Richie, everyone else muster by me," she yelled back. "Now mother, if you could please help me get this damn vest off." Margett pulled at the straps and gently lifted the vest off. There was blood on her daughter's chest. Several parameds had arrived and began cutting her uniform shirt away to get at the wounds.

"Your going to the hospital dear," Margett sighed as she gently stroked her daughter's ears.

Nick watched the two mercenaries rise from their positions and set their weapons down before walking towards the armored van. One of them looked at the fox, his eyes showed defiance as he turned to join his unit.

"Corporal, I'm handing my command over to you," Simone said. "You're to do as Captain Ramington instructs you." Then looking at the ram, she added, "Captain, you know who to call."

The ram looked at the paper again and sighed, "An agreement has been made and I will see that the ZPD lives up to our end of the bargain."

The corporal came to attention and snapped a salute, "Yes Sargent!" Then turning to the ram he saluted and added. "Awaiting your orders, Sir!"

"You and your unit will have to be arrested and booked, so if you've got any other weapons put them on the ground now," Ramington ordered. Several of the SWAT officers moved closer with their rifles trained on the mercenaries, who were now unloading an impassive array of knives, tasers, and other weapons on the ground.

Behind the police officers, the hyena warriors and their shield bearers were clustering. There was a lot of whispering amongst the hyenas. Nick and Wolford joined the lions and Fangmeyer by the now dead tiger. He overheard one of the female warriors whisper to another, "I hope they don't hold them too long in jail, the one on the end is sexy and I would sure like to take him for a romp in bed!"

Phil and Velt had also joined them and Fangmeyer looked over at the hyena, "look Beltso, we're only going to be able to hold those guys for a day or so. I want you to stick near them until they get released and settled."

Velt leaned over the dead tiger and sighed, "I really wanted him to stand trial back at the Cape for what he did. But as they say in the bush, justice can be sharp as it is final. Any idea of who he sold the diamonds too?"

Wolford looked over at the fox, who silently just looked away.

"Time to tape off the crime scene, it's also time to get the CSI team and some lights in here before they move the body," the Fangmeyer said. "We still have a long night ahead of us, so call your loved ones and tell them you're okay and that you are going to be very late."

Nick walked away from everyone and called Judy. "Hi Fluff, I 'm safe and I'm going to be stuck around here investigating the crime scene tonight..no, the tiger's dead…yeah the mercs turned for the money…did Jake get there?...Did he?...No, just tell him I'm disappointed and we'll talk later…no one knows where they're at and its going to stay that way for now…love you too!"

Wolford joined him and they watched Phil climb into a police cruiser. "I kind of like Beltso, he's a good guy." The wolf said. "Maybe Bogo will let him join the team?"

"It's still hard to believe he's a cat?" Nick observed. "Well, kind of."

"I wonder what its like to be a hyena?" the wolf said. "You know, always having females tell you what to do?"

Nick's ears went flat and he gave the wolf one of his smirks, "I'm married to Judy and I've met your wife."

"Okay, so that was a dumb thing to say," Wolford chuckled. "Lets get to work.


	19. A Broken Promise

**Chapter 19: A Broken Promise**

* * *

Judy had left the raccoon alone in his hotel suite staring at the diamonds. Jake had thought he was doing the right thing by stealing them. After all, Melinda was going to turn them in for the reward and that money she would have given to a charity that assists the displaced refugees from the Western Cape Republic. He's scheming had ruined that plan, having now been stolen from their last owner the diamond's sudden appearance would create more questions on how they were recovered and could lead back to him, jeopardizing his probation. Sighing, he swept them up into a plastic baggie and tossed them in a drawer.

His stomach was in knots as he waited for some word from Nick. Pacing the floor, he walked over to the television and turned on ZNN, there was a reporting of a shooting and a death in Hyenahurst. Desperately he watched as the reporter filmed some officers in the background and sighed in relief as he saw Nick and Wolford standing by a shack. After watching the news for a few more minutes, he walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. Stepped out onto the balcony, his eyes watched several cute rabbit does lounging around the pool below in the courtyard. Shaking his head with disgust at himself, he went back into his den and picked up his latest book.

It didn't the take him long to lose interest in the book and he sighed as he set it aside. He just couldn't stop thinking about how arrogant and his naïve he was in thinking that he could just bounce in and like some dashing movie hero, steal the diamonds to make everything better. Life just wasn't that easy. Finally, he gave up and decided to take a walk. Distracted, he didn't even acknowledged the hotel's night clerk, a black bear named Trish as she waved to him. He aimlessly walked down the street, deep in his thoughts and soon found himself several blocks away on Tusk Street as it began to rain. Looking up at an old church with its door was still open despite that late hours, he decided to take refuge inside for a little while on a back pew.

His eyes swept over the inside of the church's sanctuary, it was plain and simple. Stone walls with plain glass windows, oak pews, and an alter table with cheap brass candle sticks and a stone statue of the lion lying down next to the Lamb. "Any port in a storm, my son," spoke a voice from behind him.

The raccoon turned to face an otter in a black shirt and pants. He had a priest's stiff white cloth collar around his neck. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand?" he replied.

"Ah, you're a raccoon, so I thought you would know the old river boatmammal's saying of any port in a storm," the otter answered. "Are you just here to hide from the storm outside, because you look like your weathering more then one storm?"

Jake was going to deny it, but the otter had a compassionate and honest look. He sighed before replying, "I've got a history of making bad choices and I made another, which may have lost me a good friend."

"Is he really a good friend?" the priest asked.

"My best friend," the raccoon sighed.

"And this decision, can it be undone?" he asked.

"He's a cop," Jake replied. "I'm a crook, so when he finds out he's obligated to turn me in."

"Ah, but did you steal for yourself or for another?" the priest asked.

"No I thought I was helping others," Jake answered. "I took something from a dishonest mammal, who didn't have them legally."

"So a thief stole from a thief?" chuckled the priest. "No honor among thieves."

"Something like that," the raccoon sighed.

"So put them back!" the priest said. "Then your friend can do his job."

"That is…actually brilliant!" Jake laughed as he ran out into the rain as he was calling Melinda.

It was early in the morning when the raccoon and the jackal finally returned to the hotel after completing their task of breaking back into the cave and returning the diamonds. Both went up his suite and stripped before collapsing with exhaustion in his bed.

* * *

It was late in the morning when Nick called. "We need to talk!" the tired fox snapped at him on the phone. "I know what you did!"

"About that, first Melinda is going to be calling Bogo about the diamonds," Jake replied. "Sal Kopstein has them, they're in a vault in a tunnel under Kope Hill."

"Wait, Judy said you have them?" Nick replied. "Didn't you burgle them last night?"

"I unburgled them early this morning," the raccoon said. "Look, what I did was wrong! But those diamonds belong to the refuges and not Kopstien. I deserve to take the fall for what I did and even go back to jail."

"We'll talk later!" Nick replied before he hung up.

It didn't take long for Melinda to track down the broker who arranged the deal and to force him to confess his involvement in arranging the sale. The fact he got a phone call informing him that the seller was dead and that a certain party was aware of his participation in the transaction after being warned not to get involved, quickly convinced him to cooperate. She had enough to get a search warrant and arranged with Fangmeyer for a police raid. The ram scoffed at the officers when they showed up, because he knew they wouldn't find anything or so he thought. His smug confidence collapsed when the Jackal produced an old drawing showing a tunnel under the house and located a secret entry in the kitchen.

"There's nothing in that old safe," he stuttered at the officers as they stood in the cave. The ram protested. "I don't even know the safe's combo. I didn't even know there was a tunnel here!"

"Bullshit Kopestein!" Melinda snapped at him walking down the tunnel, her flashlight cast its beam on a alarm and camera. "This isn't that old of a security system, so open the safe or we'll get a lock smith in here to do it. This is a nice old safe, I'd hate to have someone have to drill into it and make it useless"

Kopestein grumbled as the knelt and worked the tumblers, when he had reached into his pocket to get the combo, he dropped a folded sheet of paper on the ground and Detective Oates picked it up. "Hey, I know this guy!" he remarked. Both the ram and jackal looked at him as he continued. "I've played this game, it's Sly Cooper!"

"Who?" the ram asked.

"You know the video game character!" the horse laughed.

The ram grumbled as he finally opened the safe a stared bug-eyed at the bag of diamonds inside before mumbling, "Aw shit!"

"Well Sal," the horse sighed. "Let's continue our conversation downtown. " _Grizzoli_ _,_ would you do the honors?"

After arresting the ram and securing the evidence, Detective Oates looked down at Melinda and said, "Look I don't know what kind of game you and Runnel are playing, just tell him to stay out of it!" Crumpling up the sheet he tossed it to her before he reentered the cavern and said, "So Sal there's an old saying, sometimes your mane is flyin' in the wind and sometimes the wind is flyin' in your mane."

"What the hell does that mean!" the ram asked.

"It means you might want to call you lawyer!" the horse laughed.

* * *

In the heart of Savannah Central is a small park built around a reproduction of the famous Old Watering Hole in the Great Savannah, the place where modern civilization was supposed to have begun. The raccoon sat next to the fox on a park bench, his friend looked worn out in the late afternoon sun. "I hate these never ending shifts," Nick said as he yawned, he was still in his now crumpled uniform.

"Having an asshole for a friend, doesn't help either," the raccoon added as he looked dejectedly at the grass near his hind paws.

"So how did those diamonds get returned?" the fox asked sternly. "They were in your suite when Judy saw them."

"Like I told you, I put them back," the raccoon meekly answered.

"Damn Jake!" Nick snapped. "You promised you were finished with that shit!"

"I know, I just talked myself into thinking it was the right thing to do," Jake sighed. "I was wrong and I'm sorry. I won't do it again!" The raccoon looked over at the fox, with sad eyes. "Forgive me?"

The fox stared at the raccoon sternly, causing the other mammal to look down with slumped shoulders. Then throwing his arm over the younger mammal's shoulders he pulled him closer and gave him a noogie with his other paw. "You're my best bud!" he chuckled at the now grinning raccoon. "Of course I forgive you!"

Releasing his friend, the fox slumped back into the bench and snapped on his sunglasses. "So where did you get the bright idea of returning them?" he asked.

"I was talking to the priest over at St. James of Tusk Street," Jake replied. "He gave me the idea, come on I'll buy you a juice."

Nick lowered his glasses and stared at the raccoon, who was now standing and walking towards Central Station. "You owe me more then a juice coon, but I'll settle for dinner."

"Dinner it is!" the raccoon laughed. "But no dancing afterwards, my last few dinner and dancing dates ended up in bed. But fox, your not my type."

"Your one a sick puppy," Nick chuckled. "Besides you know I'm partial to bunnies."

"No, your partial to only one bunny," Jake corrected him. "I on the other hand, am a free agent, partial to most of the ladies!" The raccoon laughed and was acting like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Do I need to call Mr. Big on you?" the fox laughed. "Maybe you and he can have another talk about your sex life again."

"Hey, did he ever have such a talk with you?" Jake asked.

"Before I betrayed him with the rug, he and I talked about a lot of things, Nick answered. "His Grandmama liked me more. He's nicer to me now that I'm married to Carrots, but he's made it very clear that he would not tolerate me mistreating her."

As they entered the railway station, they looked around and picked a sports bar called Shorty Hoops and found a table at the bar. "So who killed the tiger?" Jake asked. "I heard there was a shooting and a death, but the news hasn't reported much on what happened."

"He shot a merc and one of the hyenas killed him," Nick replied.

They had just sat down at the restaurant and ordered a few drink and a dozen smoked chicken wings. "You know…" the raccoon began and the stopped when they heard yelling in the atrium outside.

Nick sighed when he looked out and saw two teenage zebras pushing a smaller female margay around. "Dammit, I can't get a break today!" the fox muttered as he stepped out of the restaurant.

"What's the matter furball, you going to cry," laughed one of the colts as he shoved the smaller cat to the ground. "Hey Frankie, lets toss her over the edge and see if its true that cats always land of their paws."

The other colt laughed and snatched up the margay's purse and spilling its contents on the floor took her wallet.

"Really guys," Nick said as he ran towards the zebras. "Mugging in the middle of the station with all these witnesses, did you fail thugs 101 class? Oh, before I forget…Police, you're under arrest. On the ground with your hoofs spread!"

"Make me pelt," Frankie snarled as he grabbed their victim and pulled a knife, which he twirled in the air. "Any closer and I'll make a rug out of her!"

"Great choice moron, now we moved to you up to a felony," The fox growled as he pulled his tranquilizer gun. "Drop the knife and on the floor…NOW!"

The knife slid to the cat's throat and the colt sneered, "You drop the gun and or I'll slit her neck." Nick lowered his gun and let it drop from his paw. "Now kneel and beg like a good puppy."

The zebra laughed as he raised the knife and twirled it in his paw when suddenly a white blur went over the fox's head and knocked the knife out of the zebra's hoof. A second dinner plate slammed edgewise into the colt's muzzle causing him to let go of the cat, who scrambled out of his reach. Nick quickly looked back at the restaurant just in time to see the raccoon fling another plate at the assailant. "He's yours bro!" yelled the raccoon as he took off after the other colt.

The raccoon didn't reach the second zebra in time, but the colt didn't make it very far before he ran muzzle first into the hoof of a middle aged hippo. The businessmammal adjusted his tie as he glared down on the dazed zebra. "Stay down fool, I was a boxer when I was your age!" he snapped. "Get up and I'll show you a beat down, the likes you've never had before."

Meanwhile, the fox had sprung forward at the other zebra, ducking the colt's wildly swinging hoofs Nick swept the assailant's hind hoofs and sent him sprawling muzzle first into the floor. The landing on the beast's back he shoved the colt's hooves behind him and cuffed them. "Move an inch pal and I'll taser you!"

Looking up, he saw the Transit Police hauling the other zebra towards him and behind them Jake was talking to a huge muscular hippo.

"Hey Jake, could you get my dinner to go?" he yelled to the raccoon. "I'll eat it at the station after I book these two!" As the raccoon turned, he added, "You might want to get yours to go too, since I'll need to get your statement." The raccoon's ears drooped and he sighed.

It took several hours for Nick to book the two zebras and do the necessary paperwork before he could call it a day or in the case, the end of an eighteen hour shift. He got home and took a shower, before curling around his sleeping wife and managed to get six hours of sleep before he had to get up for work again.

Jake insisted on escorting the cute margay home, who in turn insisted that he be rewarded for his part in rescuing her. The next morning, he found himself wondering if Mr. Big was correct and he did have a problem with being …what was that word? Oh yeah, concupiscence. Then sighing, he smiled at the thought that he could have worse problems.


	20. Officer Down

**Chapter 20: Officer Down**

* * *

"Where the hell do they think they're going?" Adrian Bogo bellowed at the district attorney. "There are still charges pending for the whole lot!"

"No Chief Bogo, all the charges have been dropped," District Attorney Danny Vinestead replied as he picked up his briefcase and walked towards the door at the end of hallway. "They made deal with the ZIA to turn the tiger over to them for immunity and a cash reward. Your men muddled the arrangements and now the tiger's dead."

Phil Barsto watched as the Chief the Detectives argued with the DA, after a few more tense moments, the bull finally tossed his hoofs in the air and left. The spotted hyena in the blue police uniform was left by himself standing guard in the hallway while he watched the other hyenas get their gear together to leave. Leaning against the doorway, he listened as the mercenaries talked to each other. "Look Sargent, I've had it with living in the bush," a male hyena corporal told the larger female hyena. "I saved up enough cash and with my share of the reward I'm thinking about going back to farming someplace other then the Great Savannah. Maybe I go somewhere north of here where I can do as I please."

"Now corporal, you'd be lost without me!" the sergeant sweetly chuckled. "Besides, you were my Shield Bearer before we went freelance."

"Then come with me, we can raise corn and cabbages together!" he replied as she pressed him against the wall and licked his muzzle. "We're too old for children anyways."

"It's not our way!" she replied. "You really think I'd be happy someplace where we females are subservient to males?"

"Maybe someplace where we can be treated as equals?" he asked.

"A pipedream lover," she sighed.

"We've lost our clan years ago when we went with the tiger," he added. "What's holding us back, but old traditions?"

"I don't know?" she replied. "I've a chance to return to my mother's clan."

"Then go!" he snapped as he picked up his duffle bag. "But, I'm not going back to living that way." He walked into the main room were the remainder of the soldiers were waiting.

From his position in the hallway, Phil could see the female hyena put her head against the wall. She stayed there for a few moments before pushing herself off the wall and after adjusting her uniform over her bandages, she followed the corporal into the room.

"Well this is the end of the road boys," she called out. "Does everyone have all their gear?" The others shook their heads and muttered their confirmations. "You've also got your account information, I've confirmed the funds are now there and it was a nice payoff. I take it that everyone made travel arrangements? I'll be at my mothers in Hyenahurst, if you need anything call me. Gentalmammals, it's been an honor!" She came to attention and saluted them.

"Tenhut!" the corporal barked, the soldiers came to attention and saluted the sergeant back.

"At ease!" the Sargent commanded. "And dismissed!"

Phil watched as the hyenas said their goodbyes to each other and began to leave. Then he called into the station and spoke with the Chief. "I'm sending Johnson to pick you up," Bogo said. "I want you to meet Wolford and Wilde at the dump to go through it one last time before I close the case. Then you can go home, you've earned a rest."

The lion met him on the street in an unmarked police car, "I don't know what the Chief expects us to find this time? We've been through that place with a fine toothed comb."

"He thinks that the old tiger hid some papers, maybe some documents telling who he really was and who he worked for," the hyena answered.

"I guess that makes sense, but he had packed his gear and why not those too? Unless they were somewhere near the exit and he could grab them on his way out of the dump!" picking up the radio Johnson called Wilde, "Hey fox isn't there an old fashioned freezer near the dump's entry?"

"Yeah, I see it," Wilde radioed back. "I'll give it a looksee." After about ten minutes, the fox excitedly called back, "Bingo, found a cloth satchel stuffed with papers."

"Great, we'll be then in about twenty."

"We poke around some more for anything else."

"So Phil, did Bogo say anything about you sticking around?" Johnson suddenly asked. "I heard Fang was recommending you for the unit."

"We spoke this morning. Look, I'm a beat cop and I love the streets, so this special mission stuff isn't for me. I like to talk with mammals on my beat and get to know them. You don't get to do that with what you guys do. I was happy riding the night shift in Happy Town and I have friends there who need me to look out for them."

"So you told him no? A beat cop is a lonely job because you're out there by yourself."

"Not really, there are plenty of good folks out and about at night and sure some bad ones. We forget that they are counting on us to be there when needed, even if that's to help a half blind raccoon with a walker cross the road so he can get his late night snack at the convenience store."

"You do that every night?" the lion asked is surprise. "What about the nights when you're not there?"

"The guy calls me and if I can't make it, then I call Joe at the pool hall next door and one of the patrons will help him. He likes me to do it, because he's a retired deputy from Podunk and loves to talk about the old days. It also gives me a chance to make sure he's eating properly."

"You sound more like a social worker then a cop. I think you're taking the motto to serve and protect a little too far."

"It keeps the community happy. Sure I've had a knife of two pulled on me and had to bring down a few mostly drunk dangerous mammals, but it's not that rough."

Picking up the radio, the Johnson called Nick, "Were almost there, we're just down the road and we'll be there in five." Then after looking out the widow as they passed the liquor store he commented to Phil, "There sure is a lot of activity at the store today."

"Looks can be deceiving," Phil sighed as he looked at the tire recycling center and thought that it was odd that the grinder was off.

The car suddenly swerved and the lion quickly pulled off the road. "Shit, we blew a tire!" the lion cussed as he threw open his door and stepped out of the car. The hyena opened his door and looked down at the flat front tire. "Wait…" he began to call out, but then there was a zipping noise followed by a thudding sound as a flechette hit him in the back. A second round hit him in his shoulder and he fell stunned, just as another one slammed into the car's door.

"Phil!" the Johnson roared. Throwing his door open, he quickly crawled through the car and pulled the wounded hyena inside just as another round cracked the window. "Officer down! Officer down! This is Johnson on Countryline Road. Barsto's been shot! There's a sniper somewhere in the tire dump."

Clawhauser quickly responded in a panicked tone, "Confirmed, we have officer down on Countryline Road, an ambulance has been dispatched. All units respond to shooting with extreme caution. Be advised that a SWAT team is enroute."

"Claw where's that ambulance? Phil's…somethings not right…shit he's foaming at the mouth and spasming! Nick! Wolford do you see the sniper?"

"I see him, he's on the catwalk above the shedder!" the Wolford called back. "We are engaging now."

The wolf pulled out a tranquilizer rifle from the police cruiser and began firing at the gunman. He looked around and Nick was gone.

"Shit Claw, he's still shaking…what do I do?" Johnson yelled over the radio. He heard someone behind him and two hyenas in civilian clothes slid next to him, one had a cloth bag and the other a compound bow.

"Move it lion, I'm a medic!" the hyena yelled. He quickly and carefully removed the flechettes and sniffed them. "Shit! He's been shot with poison tipped rounds!" He dug through his bag and pulled out a syringe and quickly shoved it into the hyena's chest. The uniformed hyena gasped and his shaking calmed down. "Give me your damn radio!" the hyena snarled as he grabbed it from the lion's paw. "Dispatch I'm a medic, be advised that shooter is using poisoned flechette rounds."

Tossing the radio back to the lion, he leaned closer to Phil and said, "Hang in there Barsto, help is on the way." The uniform hyena tried to move his paw towards his shirt pocket and the medic nodded as he unbuttoned the pocket and removed a photo of Susan and the cubs. Then gently placing it into the cop's paw, he helped him move it so he could see the photo. The heavy panting hyena smiled as he looked at the picture and then he stiffened as he closed his eyes.

"Phil?" The lion asked, as he looked over at the medic.

The hyena shook his head and sighed, "He's gone, there was no antidote."

Across the road, the fox was started by the lion's angry roar. He saw that the sniper was also distracted by the sound and quickly sprinted across the road. He dove into the ditch, just as Wolford began shooting again, drawing the sniper's attention. Sirens could be heard rapidly approaching them, adding to the confusion.

Foxes are renowned for their stealth and today Nick was making his ancestors proud as he slipped through the tall grass and into the tire dump. The gunman did not hear or see him until he was into position and then drawing his pistol, he took aim and fired. His round should have hit the antelope, but the shooter moved slightly and the round hit the rifle instead, causing the assassin to drop it and it fell towards the ground below. Nick squeezed off his next two rounds, but missed as the mammal stumbled backwards and elbowed the grinder switch. The machine roared to life and the whirling blades began to churn once again. Pulling out an air pistol, the antelope fired back but then the gun jammed.

Nick quickly climbed the ladder and stepped onto the platform. "Give up!" he yelled. "You've got nowhere to go!"

"I'll skin you first!" the antelope yelled as he drew a long knife.

The fox drew his telescoping baton and flipped it to its full length. "You can try bastard!" he growled with his teeth bared.

Out on the road, the hyena with the bow crouched next to the distraught lion stood and took aim, his arrow struck true and it caught the shooter in his arm. With a yell of pain the antelope let the knife drop just as the second arrow went into his leg, causing him to stumble. Frantically, the assassin tried to stand, but he fell backward and slipped off the ledge. Nick sprang forward but just barely missed the mammal's flailing hoof. The fox flinched when he heard the antelope scream as he fell into the grinder's now bloody whirling blades.

After punching the off button, Nick wearily sat down and radioed in, "Wilde to dispatch, the shooter is dead. Site secured, Wilde out!"

The fox watched as the ambulance's medical team rushed over to Phil and knelt. They were speaking to the medic, then one of them stood up and she slowly walked back to their vehicle. His radio crackled to life, informing all that a CSI team and the coroner was on their way. Bogo's voice came over the radio, "Wilde stay in place until the CSI team arrives. Officers secure the scene!"

From where he sat, Nick watched as a crowd of mammals began gathering on the road. Most were hyenas and as the word spread, even more began to gather. Suddenly, they began their species telltale cackling which almost sounded like laughter. A mournful howl joined their grieving voices as Wolford lifted his muzzle to the air.

* * *

Even as the grim ambush was going on, Master Sargent Karl Velt of the Western Cape Republic Police Department was facing down his own attacker back in the First Precinct station's breakroom. Setting down the radio which he had been listening to, he raised his paws as he turned to face the larger uniformed Zebra, "You know you won't get away with this! We're in the middle of a police station, surrounded by cops."

Officer Patrick Herdsteed pointed an air pistol at the Jackal. "Your father hired that bastard tiger who killed my mother and sister, they were locked in the church that day and burned alive," he said. "I only escaped because I was working in the mine with my father. I was on ten years old and forced to work in that damned mine."

"I lost my older brother later that day too!" Velt calmly replied. He desperately looked at the break room door, hoping that someone would see what was going on inside the room. "He argued with my father and the tiger, so they had him hung from the church's still smoldering burnt rafters. Why did your group kill Barsto, he was born here in this city and had nothing to do with the massacre?"

"His father was there working for the tiger, so he had to pay for his father's sins." Just as the zebra aimed his pistol and was ready to pull the trigger, a rabbit burst into the room. He whirled and fired at her, but she bounced off the wall in a great leap and then twirled as she kicked the pistol from the larger animal's paw.

Velt charged forward and slammed himself into his much larger foe, who was at least twice his size, sending him reeling. "Your under arrest!" he heard Judy snap at the dazed zebra, she had her tranquilizer gun drawn and aimed at the rogue cop. Behind her entered Francine and the presence of the large elephant cop ended any hope of Patrick Herdsteed's possible escape.

* * *

That evening, Susan stood in the doorway of the morgue and wiped her eyes with her paw. Her alpha Margett Desod walked over and hugged her. "I'm so sorry dear," the elderly hyena sighed. "Phil was a good male and will be missed. I'll make the arrangements to ship him to our homeland to be laid to rest in the clan's cemetery."

"No!" the younger hyena snarled. "Phil was born here! He is … was…a child of this city. I'm not sending him off to be buried in some far off land. No, he's going to stay here!"

"But tradition…" Margett began.

"Damn our traditions!" Susan angrily snapped. "This was his home and this is where he'll stay! I'll..I'll find someplace to bury him and scrape up the money for his funeral somewhere."

"You're not alone," Ben suddenly said. "He was a warrior and will be honored as such."

"He fell in the line of duty, the department will make all the arrangements and cover the costs for the funeral," Fangmeyer added, the tiger had been silently watching. "As for where, just let us know and we'll make it happen."

"Happy Town," Susan sniffled. "He loved that place!"

"Then Happy Town it is," the tiger sighed. "I'll make the arrangements. The Police Chaplin has been waiting to speak with you, she's a good mammal."


	21. The Day After

**Chapter 21: The Day After**

* * *

Chief Adrian Bogo stared down at Patrick Herdsteed but he didn't say a word, his very presence and the look on his face, intimidated everyone in the room. Sargent Richard Fangmeyer looked over at the zebra and sighed, "So you're telling us that you attempted to kill Velt because of something that his father did a long time ago? Is that the same reason your associate killed Phil Barsto and you let him?"

The zebra looked away from him and towards the table. "Look at me, damn it!" growled the tiger. "You let him shoot and kill a fellow officer, so you can't just sit here acting smug in your warped self-justification! I've got hundreds of officers who would love to get their paws or hoofs on you right now and I may just let them! You two were funded by someone and there is at least one other member of your team still out there, still roaming the streets…SO TALK!"

"I want my lawyer!" the zebra snapped. "I know my rights."

A large hoof slammed against the wall, startling Herdsteed and he looked up to find the cape buffalo towering over him. "This morning they put Officer Phillip Barsto's coffin in the rotunda at City Hall, he is lying there and you give me some crap about some old custom called Honor Killings. Phil was a good mammal, a fellow officer, and father! You took his life for no damned good reason. You can have your lawyer, but in the end I will see that Phil receives justice." The angry bull slammed the wall before he turned and stormed out of the room.

Xxx

Down the street at City Hall, Officer Paul Jackson with the Fifth Precinct stood at the head of the fallen officer and his former partner's casket, the black bear was in his full dress uniform and his shiny badge was shrouded with black tape. At the other end of the casket was Officer Degato with the First, the lion was also dressed similarly. With sad eyes they stood watch as members of the community patiently waited in line to pay their respects. At the family's request, the casket was closed and covered with the city's flag. A photo of the officer, along with his badge and cap rested on top. Around the casket were wreaths of flowers.

Slowly an elderly raccoon with a walker made his way to the casket. He was dressed in an ill-fitting blue suit with an old fashioned deputy's badge pinned on the jacket's lapel. Finally reaching the coffin, he slowly drew himself erect and threw a crisp salute. "Rest easy officer, your watch has ended," the raccoon said in a quiet voice before he hobbled away.

* * *

The fox looked at his wife with sorrowful eyes as they stood with Wolford and Higgins in the station's hallway. "He seemed like a great guy," the hippo sighed as he adjusted his tie.

"When we first met, he was such a mess that I called him Scruffy," Nick replied. "He had tried to catch a purse snatcher earlier that morning and fell into a ditch on his way to the station, he was running late and didn't have time to clean up or change. I didn't know he took such pride in his uniforms and equipment, it turned out that it was one of the few things he actually owned. He told me that everything else was pooled and shared with the other male hyenas living in his apartment complex, what a strange way to live?"

"I don't know about that?" Wolford said. "The pack is much like that, we share most of what we have with each other. Sure we have some of our own personal items, but the pack takes care of its own."

"Rabbit families are like that too," Judy said as she looked up at her husband. "I had my own stuff, but most of the rest was shared with my sisters and brothers."

"Hey Nick, whatever happened with all those diamonds?" Higgins asked. "I swear that Melinda Velt is almost as sneaky as your buddy Runnel. Rumor is that the two of them are now hanging out with each other, anything romantic going on between those two?"

"He claims their just friends," Nick chuckled as he put a paw on Judy's shoulder. "I warned him that Carrots and I were just friends at first too."

"She got screwed on the reward for recovering those diamonds," the hippo continued. "There were almost million in stones and she got only a little over five thousand for their recovery, that's pittance to what they used to get. The new Cape government put a claim on them as stolen resources instead of paying a recovery fee."

"Here's the Chief," Wolford said as he turned and walked into the bullpen, followed by the other officers. Johnson arrived and joined them in the room.

Bogo nodded as he looked over at the handful of officers, "Okay, first we haven't got much from that damn zebra about who else is involved with Phil's murder. Wolford and Wilde, I want you to stay with Fangmeyer on this case until we have answers. Higgins, I want you coordinate a unit of a dozen officers to represent the First at the funeral and the graveside services tomorrow. Phil was a patrol officer with the Fifth, so they are providing the Honor Guard and the Color Guard."

"Yes sir," the hippo replied. "How many officers from the First are going to be needed for traffic control?"

"Get with Henry about that," the bull replied. "I want all of Fangmeyer's team at the funeral and you too Judy, like you and Wilde, Phil was the first and so far the only one of his species on the force. I understand he was a classmate of yours?"

Judy looked down at the floor before she answered, "Yes he was, but we really never talked much. Like me he was a bit of an outcast."

Bogo just grunted, before continuing, "There will be an official service at city hall, so expect a lot of speeches by the mayor, the commissioner, and a few other city representatives. I've been told that the eulogy is going to be by Captain Margett Desod. After the services, there will be a procession to the cemetery for the interment and we can expect over a hundred vehicles in the procession. Things are going to get a little different when we get to Happy Town, because we are parking at the church downtown and walking the rest of the way to the cemetery for the internment."

"That would probably be a good thing anyways," Nick said. "The sound of sirens is too common in those neighborhood and we cops are not exactly loved there."

"Phil was!" Johnson quickly added. "He was part of their community and they even asked that he return after this case was over. Phil was a beat cop and they loved him for what he did, his death is a tragedy for them too!"

"You have your assignments," Bogo sighed. "Now let's get back to work because we all still have a full day ahead of us. Don't forget Wilde, that you're standing Watch today at six and Wolford at you're at ten. Sorry about the long day."

"Don't be sorry Chief," Wolford replied. "It's an honor to be chosen, he was one of us."

* * *

Henry Insjumper shoved his way through the crowd inside of Central Station as he frantically ran towards the train. The young bontebok had just avoided being arrested when the police raided his apartment. He knew that things had gone bad, that his brother Peter was dead and their associate Patrick Herdsteed was under arrest. The plan had called for him to kill Barsto's two daughters but after hearing of his brother's death, he had enough of the mission and was planning to just disappear out west.

Unfortunately for Henry, things just were not going to happen that way and the antelope's luck had just run out. He was surprised as two wolves suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into an empty bathroom. "Phil was a friend," the older wolf said. He was muscular and had a scar across his left face. The bonteok stiffened as the knife stabbed into him. "He may have been a cop, but he was our town's cop and the Snapper's Gang always watches out for those in Happy Town."

They left the antelope to slowly bleed to death inside of a filthy stall.

* * *

In Hyena Heights, Susan looked at the crowd of neighbors and friends who had gathered in her home. Her clan's alpha, Margett Desod, was sitting next to her as the visitors came by to give their condolences to them both. Although she wasn't Phil's wife or mate, because that just wasn't their way, she was the mother of his two daughters and that made her the closest family member to the slain officer. Many of those gathered knew that she had loved him deeply, but that was a subject that remained taboo even now in their society. She sighed, all she really wanted was to be left alone to wail in her grief instead of having to sit and listen to this foolish banter. Margett's paw found hers and the elderly hyena announced more to the crowd then to her, "I think it's time for you to feed the little ones. Why don't you take them to your bedroom and have some alone time with them dear?" She gave her alpha a smile and took her daughters with her upstairs to her room. Once in her bedroom, she unbuttoned her blouse, held the cubs to her breasts and as they nursed, she began to sob.

Old Ben sat in the kitchen and watched as some of the younger males were cooking food and making drinks for the visitors. He was startled when a nervous looking possum entered the backdoor and asked, "Hey guys, who's in charge around here? I've got a message."

"I'm this clan's Alpha's Shield Bearer, so what's the message?" the elder male hyena asked.

"Tell her that it's over, the cop's daughters are safe," the possum replied. "The creep who was gonna kill them…well he ain't gonna do nothin to no one no more. The boss said to tell ya that Phil was a friend and we take care of our friends in Happy Town."

"You want something to eat or drink?" Ben asked as he gave the little mammal a smile.

"Naw, don't take this personal, but you'ze guys make me nervous," the possum chuckled as he softly closed the door behind him.

The hyena gave a sigh of relief at the news.

* * *

"All that work for five thousand crummy smackers!" Jake Runnel laughed as he held the cape jackal's paw. "All that work for a mere five!" The raccoon shook his head and then waved for the waiter to bring them a refill.

"Well it wouldn't have been so much work if you hadn't had to break into that place twice," Melinda Velt giggled. "Just where did you get that stupid idea to dress like a video game character? Sal Kopstein looked like an idiot flashing a photo of you dressed like Sly Cooper around, everyone thought he was nuts."

"Heh…that almost made up for the trouble that I got into with Nick," the raccoon chuckled. "Hey, I just realized that I didn't return the cash! I think there was at least a couple of thousand in that safe."

"So you really are a gallant thief after all," she laughed before she leaned over and kissed him. "Are you going to buy me something with all that money?"

The raccoon frowned and shook his head, "It's not mine! I swore off that kind of life and you know it. I'll have to do something with it, give it to someone who deserves it. I can't give it to your Refugee's Fund or even the fund they set up for Officer Barsto's cubs, they would have too questions about where it came from."

"I'm sure you'll come up with an idea," Melinda replied as sat back and sipped her drink. Then with a glint in her eye and a devious smile, she added, "You're brighter then you look." Instead of answering, the raccoon just stuck out his tongue and gave her a raspberry. "I know a better place you can put that tongue handsome, but I want dinner and dancing first!"

"Sorry pretty lady, but I'm already booked for dinner tonight. I'm having dinner with a client and afterwards I'm breaking into his mansion just to show it can be done."

"Well poop, I guess I'll just watch a move tonight! Hey, by the way, how did Nick find out that you stole the diamonds? You know he knew about it even before you did it."

"Word on the streets is faster than you think. I needed a new micro saw, something you can get from only a pawfull of guys in the business. They knew about the diamonds, they knew about us, and put two and two together."

Later that afternoon as he was walking back to his suite at the Regency Hotel, the raccoon went into the park across the street and recovered the plastic baggies he had hidden in a tree. Shoving them into a brown paper bag he continued past the hotel and walked several more blocks away to a small church on Tusk Street. Slipping into the church's sanctuary, he left the bag on top of the church's Poor Box with a note that read, " _A gift from a lost soul who was looking for any port in a storm._ " When the priest found it that afternoon, he chuckled as he took the money downstairs to Karen who ran the food bank.

Much later that night after he had dinner and had shown his new client how easy it was to break into his mansion, Jake was climbing onto a snow covered patio in Tundratown. He worked the lock and frowned when he opened the sliding door, only to discover that the apartment's alarm was off. His ear's twitched and he grinned when he heard the jackal's voice from the bedroom call to him, "Close the door lover, your letting the cold air in!"

* * *

It was around three in the morning when a fashionably dressed hare slipped into the First Precinct's holding cells. His partner had already rerouted the police cameras, so that there was no record of his being there. The guard on duty, who like everyone else in the back of the building, was sound asleep thanks to the sleeping gas that the mysterious hare had put into the air ducts. Taking the guard's keys, he walked over to the cell where the unconscious zebra slept and carefully pulling out a small tube of liquid, he poured it into the sleeping mammal's mouth. "Sorry old fella," he sighed. "The Company can't have you talking. We've got too many assets to protect in the Cape."

The hare quickly left the building the same way he came in and after tossing his gloves and the empty tube into the waiting car's trunk, he climbed into the passenger's seat and smiled at the attractive female arctic fox who was driving. "I don't know about you Skye, but I could use a drink and maybe some company?" he said with a grin.

"You're getting very needy in your old age!" she giggled, and then putting her paw on his calf, she added, "Your place or mine, Jack?"

Listening in to their conversation, the portly wallaby sighed and leaned back in his office chair. Savage is almost as bad as James, but at least the jackrabbit keeps his partners alive unlike the wolf, he thought as he reached over and turned off his desk light. Then picking up his briefcase, the Director of the ZIA locked his office and walked down the hallway towards the exit.

* * *

Across town and inside of the City Hall building, almost everyone had gone home. Only a couple of security guards and the cleaning crew were some of the few mammals still in the building, but in the rotunda two police officers silently stood vigil by their fallen comrade's casket. One of the security guards looked at the police officer who was standing at attention at the foot of the casket. Unlike the other officer in the usual ZPD dress uniform, the cape jackal's uniform jacket and slacks were of a taupe color, He also wore stiff dark blue shoulder boards which matched the color of his tie and his cap was the same dark blue, but with a two green and a single red band.

Karl Vert reflected that during his short career as an officer, he had stood vigil too many times and he pondered if peace would ever come to his homeland. Here, miles away from the Cape, he was once again mourning the death of a comrade killed by the violence spawned over years of hatred. That violence had now been exported to the faraway city of Zootopia, all in the name of vengeance.


	22. The Last Call

**Chapter 22: The Last Call**

* * *

Nick's phone rang in the early morning and Judy answered it, "Yes? Hello... Sargent, I'll wake him…is everything…what?" the rabbit's ears shot up straight when she heard the news. "Nick, get up! Fangmeyer is on the phone." She shook her husband, but the sleeping fox just grumbled. "Nick, they found the other brother dead!"

Nick's eyes shot open and he sat upright, "Fang, what happened?...I'm on my way in!" He turned to Judy, "He was murdered …" The fox was interrupted when his wife's phone suddenly rang.

Judy grabbed her phone and answered, "I heard, Fangmeyer just called for Nick…yes sir…I'll be right in." She hung up and hopped out of their bed. "That was Chief Bogo, he also wants me to come in and he said Herdsteed died in his cell this morning!"

Nick stumbled out of the bed and joined the rabbit in the bathroom, she was already in the shower and he slipped in behind her. Even with all that was going on, he couldn't but stop and take a moment to admire her body and then he smiled as his paws began to work the soap into her fur.

She felt the now aroused fox behind her and sighed, "Nick we don't have time..." Her objections where silenced by a kiss.

Nick broke off the kiss and smiled at her. "I know, we've got to hurry," he replied. "Can't a guy, just take a few moments to admire his girl?"

"Admire?" the rabbit chuckled. "I think you've got more on your mind the just admiring me, Slick!" She had just finished rinsing and twisted out of his arms. As she stepped out of the shower, she reached over and her paw gave one of the dials a twist.

"Gahhh!" the fox yelped as the water suddenly turned cold. "Carrots! Judy! I'll get you for that!" Turning the hot water back on, he grumbled as he finished his quick shower.

Judy was already full dressed in her patrol uniform by the time he finished drying and grooming himself. She had also laid their dress uniforms out on their unmade bed. "We'll have to change later, if we are still attending the funeral." He silently nodded as he quickly dressed. After a few moments of silence, she turned and sighed, "Okay, enough of the silent treatment. I'm sorry about the cold water trick."

"If you wanted to wake me up, a cup of coffee would have worked," he chuckled as he reached for her and pulled her into his arms.

"You were awake, Slick! All of you was awake," she replied with a sultry voice. He kissed her and was surprised when he felt her paw rubbing his crotch area. "You forgot to zip your pants again," she whispered.

"I know…work...now! But if I'm still awake tonight, I'm going to rut you like there's no tomorrow."

"Promises, promises!"

It took them forty more minutes to get to the police station and they hung their dress uniforms in their lockers. As they were walking towards the bullpen, they met Wolford. "Any word on what's doing on?" Nick asked.

Before the wolf could answer, they heard arguing in the room and the door opened as tall thin white jackrabbit with striking black markings on his ears and cheeks stepped out. He adjusted his tie and almost subconsciously adjusted the cuffs of his expense looking black suit. Then he smiled at the trio in the hallway and said, "Ah..you must be the famous Judy Hopps, your much prettier in the fur then the photos show." His paw took hers in a lingering pawshake.

"The name is Hopps-Wilde," Judy replied.

"Yes, I heard you married the fox," the hare replied in a flat tone. Then looking at Nick he gave him an almost predatory smile. "Well it was nice meeting you anyways. I think it's time for you and Chief Bogo to have a conversation, so I'll just go on my merry way now." The fox watched as the hare walked down the hallway to meet with a beautiful arctic fox and several other mammals.

"Wilde in here, NOW!" Bogo yelled. Turning, Nick walked into the room and was surprised at the angry and dejected looks on the rest of the team's faces.

"Things have changed," Fangmeyer said, the big cat was sitting at one of the tables and looked worn out. "As of forty minutes ago, our investigation has been closed by orders of the commissioner. This has gone international, so the ZIA has taken over. Hell, they took everything concerning both Phil's and Brendra's investigation."

"The briefcase?" Johnson asked and the tiger nodded.

"Herdsteed's body too?" Judy asked as her nose twitched in frustration.

"Our lab didn't have it long enough to do an autopsy or even blood tests. His body was sent to an independent pathologist by orders of the mayor," Bogo replied. "She wants an inquiry opened on his death and I have to agree with her on this one, he died in our custody so an inquiry is needed."

"I'm sure the doctor is associated with the ZIA," Nick sighed. "It will be natural causes, it's always natural causes."

"Can I ask who was handling the murder of Henry Insjumper?" Degato asked.

"Detective Oates was, before that case was also reassigned to the ZIA too," Fangmeyer replied. "I protested that it wasn't in their jurisdiction."

"Well guys," Bogo suddenly said. "Wrap up any paperwork you've got and I'll see you at the funeral. Afterwards, take the remainder of the day and tomorrow off. Richard, let's get some breakfast!"

Nick watched as Bogo and Fangmeyer left the room before he snarled, "Paperwork! How do you do paperwork on a case that's been pulled?"

Degato sighed and held his paw to his lips, then taking out his pad and pen he wrote, _Room may be bugged. Meet you at Bennys._

About ten minutes later the team met down the street at Benny's Café. Degato quickly put money in the jukebox and played an obnoxious rap song and the proprietor, after seeing the lion's look, closed the blinds before he brought them coffee. The lion spoke in a soft voice, "Bogo is saying for you to backup your notes and hide them. This case maybe out of our hands now, but it's not forgotten." Nick began to object, but the lion quickly added, "Just do it and drop the case for now."

The door opened and Johnson laughed, "So Nick you're telling me your wife not only beat you on the track last week, but lapped you how many times?"

The fox sighed and shrugged, "Three times at least." Over the lion's shoulder, he saw a warthog and a bear enter. They didn't look like businessmammals to him.

They spent the morning talking and eating, before returning to dress for the funeral. The warthog and bear stayed with them in the restaurant the whole time.

* * *

The next afternoon, Nick showed up at Jake's office carrying a gift wrapped box. "Aw, you brought me a present!" the raccoon laughed before he saw the fox's expression. Getting up from behind his desk, he walked over to Nick.

The fox leaned over and whispered, "Is it safe to talk in here, are there any bugs…you know listening devices?"

"Hey Ratzoilli, did the guys exterminate this morning?" the raccoon yelled to the rat in the neighboring office.

"They scan the place every morning," the rat answered as he walked over to the raccoon's office. "You'd know that boss, if you'd ever come to work before noon!" Then seeing Nick, he added, "Good seeing you Wilde. Hey, I hope we're not in trouble with Bogo again for screwing up another investigation?"

The fox shook the rat's paw and replied, "Not so far today, this is just a visit."

"Sure Wilde…yeah a visit!" the rat chuckled. "It's safe to visit, as you called it. Let me just close the door on my way out and whatever is in that box might need to be incinerated once copied."

"Smart guy," Nick sighed. "But he's right because I need to hide these notes from the ZIA."

"Are you in trouble?" Jake asked.

"No, but I want these hidden just in case I need to get them later. I don't want you dragged into this, but I need you to hide them for me."

"Easy enough, we'll scan them on a mouse size microchip and destroy the originals. I'll stash it away until you need it."

"That sounds too easy, "the fox asked in a skeptical voice. "Like I said, I don't want you dragged into the ZIA's sights."

"Not the first time we've crossed paths," the raccoon shrugged, as he poured his friend a cup of coffee. "So how did the funeral go yesterday? The news just had the typical quick story, you know an officer dies in the line of duty, he's a father, they show clips of the funeral, soundbites of the mayor's speech, and then a scene of the police cars slowly going down the road."

"They did the service in City Hall and a just few folks showed up besides us cops, they were mostly politicians wanting to be seen by the press. The mayor said some words that sounded more like a campaign speech then words for a funeral. She was telling everyone what her administration is doing to fight crime…blah…blah…blah. You know it was just more of the typical political shit. Scriptures were read and hymns sung. Then Phil's Alpha, Captain Desod, gave the eulogy. She did a good job and you could tell it wasn't her first time."

"It was so sad that there wasn't a bigger turn out. Wasn't he the first hyena on the force?"

"Right now he was first and only one in uniform! Anyways, we dove to Happy Town for the internment and there things got a lot more interesting. We had to park and then march behind the casket to the cemetery, although they used cops as pallbearers, we were flanked by female hyena warriors carrying these decorative spears while they did that unnerving laughing sounding call that they do. The street was packed with mourners, hundreds of them from the community, and they threw flowers as they reached out to touch the coffin. Everyone was crying, wolves and coyotes were mournfully howling, church bells were ringing, and the hyenas were cackling, I've never seen or heard anything like it before."

Stopping, the fox sipped his coffee and stared at the wall before he continued, "When we got to the cemetery, things calmed down and proceed as they usually do for a funeral. Carrots was already sobbing, you know how emotional bunnies can be. I was doing okay, until they did the Last Call End of Watch over the radio…calling for Phil to answer…then came the dreaded officer is not responding…" The fox wiped his eyes with his paw and sniffled.

Jake got up and walked out to the break room and returned with a pawful of napkins, which he handed to his best friend. "Sorry, I don't have any tissues and I asked around, but the only packet was mouse sized."

"That's okay," Nick sniffled. "You know when they say those words _rest easy your Watch is done,_ it really gets to us cops. You begin to wonder if they'll ever be saying that about you?" He sniffled again and sighed, "Or about my Judy?"

"She'll outlive you buddy, she isn't as impulsive as you say she is and unlike you, she knows when to duck."

"Heh, you're probably right and besides she makes a smaller target!"

"So how's the home town looking these days?"

"Still rundown, but not as ratty was the last time I was there. There was a bunch of mammals who wanted to talk to me, even a few who used to beat me up when I was in school. They were asking about you too, they wanted to know why you never come back home?"

"I did my best to get out of that hole and I have no intentions of ever going to that ghetto again! I'd probably get mugged."

"Things there have really calmed down. I took Carrots to the Main Street Café after the funeral, she and I went there a few times while dating because it's one of the few places were we could go and not be judged."

"My pop used to take me to the Main Street Café on Saturday mornings to meet with his buddies.".

"Coffee still sucks. Great food and lousy coffee, that's their trademark! So anyways, after we ate we went to visit mom."

"How's your mom doing? She would be the only reason I'd go back to Happy Town."

"She's fine," Nick replied with a smile on his muzzle, "Still fussing over me like I was a kit." Then he sighed before adding, "I was selfish when I ran away for all those years, I can't believe I was that dumb."

"I can," Jake chuckled. "I think I need to open my gift and take care of the contents before we get visitors. Hey, you and Judy want to go to a movie or dinner tonight."

"What, no date tonight? You're not with Melinda again?"

"Nope, she's got a date tonight with an arctic fox. I guess I'm going to have to spend the night all alone."

"Well I hope you don't mind, but Carrots and I could use some alone time ourselves tonight," the fox replied with a devious grin on his muzzle. "I plan to have dinner in bed."

"Just don't give a thought about you lonely bachelor buddy," Jake said in an overdramatic voice. "All alone in his bed and staring at the ceiling of his dark dingy room."

"First, I'm not going to give a thought about you, you're oversexed as it is coon. Second, you live in a four-star hotel, which certainly isn't dark or dingy."

"Well there's always River Street!" the raccoon said with a cheery voice. Then his ears drooped and he added, "After I patch things up with Jerry."


	23. The 13th Tribe & Rise of Generation Z

**Chapter 23: The 13** **th** **Tribe & Rise of Generation Z**

* * *

Although no one wanted to talk about it, there was simmering discord brewing in Hyena Heights. It wasn't unusual for the young to question why something was always done the same way, but to have a young male publicly disagree and argue with an older female was unheard of and unacceptable. The offending male was beaten and dragged to his clan's alpha for judgement. Anger swelled between clan members on how the incident was handled and someone called the cops. A police unit arrived and when the cops tried to intervene, things began to turn ugly until finally cooler heads prevailed.

"I don't care who she is," the burly uniformed grizzly bear said as he looked down at the hyena. "I've got a young male beaten and someone is going to have to answer for that down at the station. She can come peacefully or I'll toss both her and you into the back of the car myself." He glanced over toward his partner, a rhino armed with a taser rifle. Sirens could be heard in the background as other units responded.

There was an argument between half a dozen elderly female hyenas and finally Margett Desod snapped at the other Alphas, "This isn't the homeland, this is Zootopia and we will obey the laws. If you don't turn Zelma over to the officers for beating Rashid, they will do their duty and arrest her and anyone else who tries to stop them."

Three patrol cars came to a halt and six more heavy armed officers joined the bear and his partner. The grizzly looked over at the hyenas, "So what's it going to be?" he asked. The arrival of the additional police began a round of cackling by the assembled hyenas.

"Stand down," Desod yelled and then looking at the officers she added, "Everyone!" She walked toward a dozen of the female hyenas who stood between Zelma and the police. "I'm ashamed of you all for acting this way. Especial you Martha, you were a constable in the old country and sworn to uphold the law. Here you stand ready to attack a fellow officer trying to do his job!" The older hyena looked down at the ground in shame.

Zelma stepped forward and turned towards the others, "I will go with these officers, but my only crime is upholding the old ways of our tribes. These are the honored ways of our foremothers and our species."

Anger ripped through the crowd as the police placed the hyena in the back of the patrol car, at least the bear showed restraint in not muzzling her. After the police left, a large number of younger male and females clustered around Rashid and escorted him away from the mob.

"This isn't over!" Sebeka, one of the tribal Alphas, snapped at Margett. "I call for a meeting of the Alphas tonight. We need to hash this out."

"No!" Margett replied. "I call for a conclave of all the Alphas tomorrow night, a full conclave open to everyone to witness."

"Don't be foolish!" Shebka huffed. "There has never been such a conclave since we came here to this city, you must have a lion of royal blood to chair such a meeting. There is no royalty here!"

"There is and he is of the linage of the greatest of all, the blood of the great Mufasa," Margett replied, she stood straight and looked the other hyena in her eyes, causing the other female to blink and look away. "His name is Leo Lionheart."

* * *

Former Mayor Leo Lionheart was surprised at the visit he received, "Look I'm out on parole and have just started back in reapplying to get reinstated in my legal career," he said. "This sounds like something that you need to work out yourselves."

"We need you to mediate the meeting and to let all speak," Margett Desod replied. "A lion of royal blood must hear and give us advice on how our traditions can be applied to the laws of where we live."

"And what if that advice is contrary to your traditions?" the lion asked with a skeptical voice.

"Then the Alphas can reject it," the hyena sighed. "In all honesty, we are a proud species and set in our ways."

The lion walked to the window and stared out over the city he once led, the city he really truly loved. "If it will bring peace," he firmly said as he turned to face the hyena. "I'll do it."

* * *

The conclave met at the local high school's outdoor stadium, with several thousand hyenas in attendance. In the distance, a large detail of police stood by in case there was violence. The arguments raged back and forth throughout the evening and into the early morning hours. Leo controlled the meeting with a firm paw, ensuring every Alpha wishing to speak had her say. The two protagonists turned out to be Alpha Shebka, who argued for the traditional ways, and Alpha Margett, who spoke for change and moderation.

"You allowed a male to become a police officer, not a Shield Bearer, but a warrior!" Shebka accused Margett. "Warriors are females!"

"Our history tells of a few great males who were warriors," Margett replied. "Was it not the swords of Ahmad the One Eared and that of Baldur the white wolf who slew the guardians of Set and restored Mufasa to the throne? Besides, here in this place, does an Alpha really have the right to tell anyone what he or she can become?"

"Alphas have always had that right! It is our way!"

"It is our way and in the homeland it is in the law. Here in Zootopia there is no such law and therefore, an Alpha may judge only by those traditions which are not subject to this city's laws. When Rashid was beaten for speaking his mind, that was against the law and so had to be treated as a crime."

"It is not a male's place to argue with a female! You created this problem by allowing Barsto to become a cop, to allow him to tell our warriors what to do! That was against our ways, you emboldened those who would tear down our traditions."

"Officer Phil Barsto gave his life while performing his duty!" Margett growled back in anger. "How dare you disrespect the memory of a warrior!" Her paws were clenched as she faced the other hyena.

"Stop!" Lionheart roared. "It is time to listen to others, while you two calm down."

By the early morning hours, a charter of reconciliation was drafted for each Alpha to sign. Shebka had gotten her way and it even went as far as to call on establishing private schools, so the children would be raised with traditional beliefs. Leo had warned them that the city leaders would frown on this self-imposed isolationism, but the charter was laid out for each Alpha to ratify. As the first Alpha began to sign, there was a yell from the end of the field and all were surprised to see Susan walking towards the assembled leaders.

"No, this not right!" she yelled. "You want to impose your ways upon us, to make us live in a way we know is wrong. Unlike you we are not of the old country, we are children of this city. Why must we treat males inferior because of their sex? This city was founded on the belief of tolerance, that you can be anything despite where you're from, what species you are, or if you are female or male."

A cry came from the stand as several hyenas, male and female stood, 'We are Generation Z and we will be heard!"

Silence! Shebka yelled. "It is not your place."

"No, this is our place, this is our city and we are the generation of Zootopia…Generation Z!" Susan yelled back. "We must learn and adapt. I will not raise my daughters, the children of the male I loved...yes I said loved…to grow up with these archaic beliefs. I have found a place willing to take in any who no longer wishes to live like this, to be accepted for who you are and not judged by others. The refugees of the Cape will take us in at Dogtown. They too have grown up here and have forged new lives as children of the city."

First it was some small clusters and then a larger group which joined Susan on the field. Some held paws and clung to each other, female with male, male with male, and female with female. The crowd grew in size to several hundreds, not all young and not all born in the city.

"You all will be cast out of the twelve tribes!" Shebka yelled. "Exiled from your clans."

As Margett looked out at the hundreds of Hyenas clustered on the field, she felt a paw grasp hers, "Are you ready my love?" Ben asked.

She turned and looked him in his eyes, then leaned over and kissed him, not the accepted lick of their species, but a deep passionate kiss. Then she tried not to chuckle at the gasps of the other Alphas as she pulled off her decorative sash and handed it to Shebka. "You've always wanted to be the High Alpha, so here and good luck salvaging what is left of the tribes," she told her.

"You are cast out of your clan and your tribe!" Shebbka snarled.

"No dear, we've started a new tribe and a new clan, the Thirteenth Tribe and the Clan of Zootopia," she laughed as she and Ben walked towards the others on the field.

"They'll need an Alpha," Ben said.

Margett looked at Susan, who stood in the center of the crowd with her daughters in her arms, and replied. "No dear we already have one and as for me, I just want to enjoy as many sunsets as we have left together."

* * *

By midafternoon they were ready, trucks and what few vehicles they owned were filled with their belongings. Ben's car belched smoke and was crammed with what little he and Margett had decided to take. As the vehicles made their way down the highway, over three hundred hyenas followed, slowly walking towards their new homes in Dogtown. It was a modern day exodus of refugees in their own city. Parts of the city came to a standstill as they made their way down the streets, much to the displeasure of the mayor. But, there was little the police could do but let them pass, shutting down the intersections as they made their way.

Soon as the news of the exiles became known, others came to help. Church buses, private cars, and even a fleet of limos from Tundratown arrived. Others set up tables to feed the hyenas and provide water. It was well past midnight when the last stragglers arrived in Dogtown, the Cape refugees took them into their homes and the local churches.

Since the collapse of the old predator dominated regime in the Western Cape Republic and the election of a new interspecies government, many of the refugees had returned home leaving rows of empty Refugee Homes. These were simply constructed buildings that could house several families and were now offered to the hyenas. Margett smiled at the number of rooms that were claimed by couples. At least here, the very act of living together wouldn't have to be hidden. She and Ben picked a modest room.

Together the two elderly hyenas sat on the patio and watched the sunrise over the distant mountains. He stood and she was surprised when knelt at her feet. "We won't have any of that dear, today we are equals," she sighed. "So get off the ground before you hurt yourself."

"Well my love, in the movies this is how a guy asks a girl to marry him," Ben chuckled.

"If I say yes, will you get off your knees?"

"Only if you will help me up, I think I'm stuck."

She stood and took his paws to help him stand. "You're a bit spryer then you act dear," she sighed as she kissed him. "And your answer is yes!"

He pulled her closer to him and whispered, "I love you, now let's go back to bed and I'll show you how, what did you say… spryer? Okay, come on I'll show you how spry I really am."

"The bed squeaks," she chuckled. "The others will know what we're up to."

"Good," he sighed as she licked his neck. "Let everyone know how spry we both are!"

They almost broke the bed in the early morning hours and everyone in the house knew exactly what they were up to.


	24. Sins No More

**Chapter 24: Sins No More**

* * *

 **This is the last chapter of** _ **Sins of our Fathers**_ **, thank you for reading my story. Nick, Judy, Jake, and Wolford will return in** _ **Zootopia: A Raccoon's Revenge.**_

* * *

Adrian Bogo walked into the bar and stared around with his usual scowl until he saw the mammal he was seeking sitting at a booth, a cape jackal in a light blue and white stripped polo shirt and khaki pants. "Ah there you are Adrian!" the Karl Velt called to him. "I've ordered you that drink with the tea with lemonade. You know, the one we had the last time we met here. What did they call it?"

"An Armadillo Palmer, thanks," replied Bogo as he shook the smaller jackal's paw and sat down. "Diamonds is late again?"

"She always runs a little late…ah here she is now!" the jackal laughed.

"Sorry guys, I had lunch with Victor in Tundratown and missed the subway," Melinda Velt said as she hurried over and hugged the cape buffalo and then her cousin Karl. "I see that you're still in uniform, Adrian?"

"Maybe my wife is right and I work too much," the buffalo sighed.

"Who's Victor?" Karl asked.

"An arctic fox I've had a date with last night," Melinda replied as she picked up and sipped from her drink. "He's got the most beautiful blue eyes and a pure white coat of fur."

"I thought you and Runnel were dating?" Bogo said. "You two were with each other a lot, so I figured it was serious."

"Jake?" the female cape jackal laughed. "We were never serious, we are just friends. He is a lot of fun and real charming, but he couldn't…you know? "

"Know what cousin?" the male jackal asked as he leaned forward with a smirk.

"You know!" She grumbled and began to blush. "I'm a jackal and I missed the…you know, canid thing."

"Huh?" the cape buffalo exclaimed, he was genuinely perplexed by what she was saying. "What canid thing?"

"You're going to make me say it!" she huffed and then she looked up at Bogo before she growled. "He's a raccoon and raccoon's don't knot!"

He cousin laughed and the buffalo replied with a grin, "Oh, I guess they don't?"

"Please don't tease Jake," she pleaded as she took Bogo's arm. "He's a great lover and it's not his fault."

The buffalo hugged her and replied, "I won't, he may be a pain in my ass sometimes, but he's trying to reform. By the way, great job in finding the diamonds. You seemed to know your way around Kopestein's manor, almost as if you knew someone who had been there before?"

"I found the article about the tunnel, that's all," Melinda meekly replied while she noticed the skeptical look the buffalo was giving her. "That mansion has never been robbed, has it?"

"No, not that has been reported. But someone stole those diamonds from the Merchandise Exchange last night, any ideas who might have done that?"

"It wasn't Jake, he wouldn't do that! Frankly I don't care and unless the Cape government wants to hire me, I'm not looking for them. They stuck it me good when they seized the diamonds after I found them and claimed they were stolen resources so they didn't have to pay the reward."

"They could be considered as being such," Karl said. The glare his cousin gave him was not very nice. "But Adrian, I'm sure your team will find out who did it and recover them all in due time."

"I think I will tell the ZIA to go look for them," Bogo scoffed. "They took away all the other associated cases. You do know that we will never let whoever was behind Barsto's death get away with his murder."

Karl sighed, "I know and I will open an investigation when I get back to the Cape, we have to stop these revenge killings or we will never find peace."

"If the ZIA is involved, you know that they are up to something," Bogo replied. "So be careful."

Lifting his drink, Karl saluted the other two and said, "Here's to bring an end to the tiger and putting our father's sins to rest!"

Bogo added, "And to Phil Belso, may we will never forget his sacrifice."

* * *

Jake looked out the window of the cozy study and sighed at the sight of all the snow. "So you're not dating Miss Velt anymore?" the shrew asked. "I was under the impression that you two were getting serious."

"No sir, not that serious," the raccoon lied as he returned to his seat and picked up his vodka and tonic. "We are just good friends, but our relationship is just that and nothing more."

"Good," replied Mr. Big. "The two of you together can cause trouble. Did she talk you into stealing the diamonds?"

"No!" Jake snapped and then looking at Koslov's face, he quickly added. "I'm sorry that was disrespectful to answer in such manner." After the shrew dismissively flicked his paw, the raccoon continued, "She was against the idea from the start. How did you know I stole the diamonds?"

"Word travels quickly on the street and Kopestien was flashing around that silly picture of a raccoon that looked like a video game character," Koslov replied. "We figured you did it, but why did you put them back?"

"I took them thinking that Melinda could claim the reward," Jake answered. "But then I realized that she couldn't explain how she got them, so I put them back."

"I'm glad you did," Mr. Big said. "You have got to watch your reputation. Reputation is important even in your business and if word gets out that your back being a burglar, you won't be trusted to do what you're doing now. You're either in or out, you can't play both sides of the field. If you have changed your mind, let me know because my offer still stands."

"Thank you sir, but I really don't want to go back to doing that for a living. I like what I'm now doing and I have others counting on me."

"Then I'm happy for you. You're too nice for this end of the business anyways."

"Jake!" a voice called him from behind and he looked down to see Fru Fru standing there. "You promised little Judy you would come to her tea party and tell the children some stories."

"I'm sorry gentlemammals," Jake said as he stood up. "I have been summoned by Princess Judy, so please excuse me."

Both the shew and the polar bear laughed as he followed Fru Fru out of the room.

"He's a nice kit, I'm glad he didn't take you up on your offer," Koslov said.

"Too bad he isn't a shrew," Mr. Big added. "He would have made a better son-in-law then Antonio."

"I don't think he knows that the diamonds were stolen last night and I'll have some of the boys dispose of them tonight. Are you sure you don't want to keep them?"

"No, they've brought too much pain and suffering. Get rid of them."

Jake spent the afternoon playing with Fru Fru's children and stayed for dinner with the Big family. Afterwards, Raymond and Kevin drove him to the Regency Hotel and on their way back to the mansion, the limousine pulled off the road next to an old bridge which spanned over an icy fast flowing river. The two polar bears got out and ambled to the edge of the bridge. Raymond pulled out a small packet and gingerly poured its contents into his paw. The diamonds sparkled like ice crystals in the moonlight.

"I want to say it," Kevin asked.

Raymond sighed and shook his head, "Okay, if you just have to do it."

"Ice em!" the younger bear growled as the other bear tossed the diamonds into the river below.

As they walked back to the limo, Raymond said, "You didn't sound anything like the boss."

"Did too!" Kevin replied.

"You're acting just like a big cub," Raymond laughed as he got back into the limo.

* * *

Margett was having tea with Susan that afternoon. "We've got still more moving in dear and it's become quite a large number to keep in one clan. I think time to elect some new Alphas and start some new clans," the older hyena said.

"I wish you had taken this job," the younger hyena sighed.

"No dear, this is a job for new blood. I'm too old and set in my ways."

"Ha! So says the first hyena to have ever married! You two have shaken our culture to its very core and there are a lot of angry hyenas who would love to get their paws on you two."

"You too dear," the older hyena replied as she touched the gold ring on her other paw. "Changes never come easy, but the world changes and so will our culture. I've heard that our new tribe has thrown the homeland into a tizzy, some of the young hyenas are speaking out in support and advocating change."

"Are any of your children talking to you yet?"

"My daughter and her mate Rodrick are, they are living in the Tri-burrows area and they are farming now. From soldiers to farmers, what a change for those two. As for the others, they'll come around one day and if not them, their grandchildren will."

* * *

"It's finished, burn everything," sighed the Zebra. "I told them to move on, no more retribution. We need to move forward and rebuild with equality for all." The Prime Minister of the Western Cape Republic stood and stretched. "Thank you Paul, you've done a great service to our nation, it's just too bad it will never be recognized."

"It's just the nature of our business," the ZIA Director said as he stood up. "But just don't forget our mining arrangements, the city is looking forward to partnering with the new mine owners."

* * *

 _ **More stories about Nick's best friend, Jake Runnel:**_

 _ **Zootopia: A Raccoon's Redemption**_ \- The raccoon should not have punched the fox, but if he hadn't they would have never become friends. A story about a reformed crooked coon, a sly fox, and a cute bunny who are living in a big city. (Rated M)

 _ **Zootopia: A Raccoon's Revenge**_ _–_ Jake Runnel isn't your typical raccoon, he's a former thief with friends on both sides of the law. When someone begins ritually killing his fellow raccoons, he's going to make sure there's hell to pay. Nick Wilde's best friend returns in an entertaining adventure mystery. (Rated M)

 _ **Zootopia: A Raccoon's Rescue -**_ A cynical teenage fox named Nick learns the joy of helping out someone in need on Halloween Night when he rescues a little raccoon kit in trouble. The night Jake Runnel first met Nick Wilde. (Rated T)

 _ **Zootopia: A Raccoon's Romance**_ \- Jake Runnel thinks he's a stud, after all he's romped his way through many a willing young lady's bed. But now he's trying to win his true love's heart despite his own inexperience, insecurities and self-doubts. Can Nick save the raccoon from himself? Nick Wilde's best friend returns in a story of love and redemption.(Rated M)

 _ **Zootopia Short Stories: A Raven's Kittens**_ **-** Nick and his best friend Jake Runnel take Jake's two boys, little Nicky and Freddie to see Santa Paws and then visit an old friend of Jake's afterwards. The highland wildcat tries to tell the boys an old tale for the holidays, but have you ever tried telling a story to two inquisitive seven year old raccoons and a rambunctious fox? (Rated T)


End file.
